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Marvels  of  Our  Bodily 
Dwelling 


By 
MRS.   MARY  WOOD-ALLEN,  M.  D. 

Introduction  by 
Sylvanus  Stall,  D.  D. 


THE   VIR    PUBLISHING    COMPANY 

Philadelphia,  Pa. :    200-214  N.  Fifteenth  Street 
London:    7,  Imperial  Arcade,  Lud£:ate  Circus,  E.  C. 

Toronto:    Wm.  Brings,  33  Richmond  Street,  West 


16  W6  5lf 


Copyright,   1915 
By 

THE   VIR   PUBLISHING   COMPAiNY 


Q  T  -^  % 


Copyright  by   Man'  Wood-Allen,    1895-1896 
Copyright   by   Educational   Publishing   Company,    1903 


[Printed  In  United  States] 


INTRODUCTION. 


^  I  ''HE  most  important  subjects  ought  always  to 
-■-  be  the  most  interesting.  Such,  however,  is 
not  always  the  case.  To  take  subjects  as  vitally  im- 
portant to  everybody  as  anatomy,  physiology  and 
hygiene,  and  invest  their  study  with  such  a  charm 
as  to  hold  the  attention,  impart  valuable  information, 
and  do  the  reader  a  lasting  good,  is  nothing  short  of 
a  great  achievement. 

That  is  the  work  and  result  attained  by  Mrs. 
Mary  Wood- Allen,  M.  D.,  in  these  pages.  Under 
the  similitude  of  an  allegory,  she  has  treated  these 
subjects  attractively  and  imparted  to  them  an  inter- 
est that  holds  the  attention  of  old  and  young  alike 
from  beginning  to  end.  Scientific  facts  are  not  sac- 
rificed to  the  fiction,  but  fiction  is  made  to  serve  the 
facts  in  such  a  way  as  to  secure  their  widest  dissem- 
ination and  greatest  usefulness. 

The  circulation  of  this  book  will  help  not  only  to 
dispel  the  ignorance  upon  these  subjects  which  pre- 
vails so  widely  among  all  classes,  but  it  will  do  it  so 
skilfully  that  the  hght  will  fall  agreeably,  and  be 
welcomed  by  those  who  most  need  it.  Indeed  the 
book  is  so  interesting  and  clear,  and  its  instruction  so 
valuable  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  overstate  its 


worth  as  an  educational  force  both  in  the  school  and 
in  the  home 

Health,  one  of  the  most  valuable  assets  in  a  hu- 
man life,  can  neither  be  secured  nor  retained  with- 
out an  intelligent  understanding  of  our  marvelous 
bodies,  and  in  this  great  work  Mrs.  Wood-Allen  has 
placed  young  and  old  throughout  the  English  speak- 
ing world  under  a  lasting  tribute  of  gratitude. 

Sylvanus  Stall. 

Philadelphia,  Pa.,  U.  S.  A. 
February  27,  191 5. 


PREFACE. 


MENS  Sana  in  corpore  sano,"  is  a  sentence 
with  which  Ave  were  familiar  forty  years  ago. 
We  repeated  it  glibly  in  the  original  and  could 
translate  it  into  equivalent  English,  "  A  sound 
mind  in  a  sound  body,"  but  had  little  compre- 
hension of  its  full  import  which  even  now  is  but 
beginning  to  dawn  upon  the  world.  Illnesses 
were  then  considered  dispensations  of  Provi- 
dence ;  we  are  now  coming  to  see  that  we  are 
responsible  not  only  for  our  own  vigor  but  for 
that  of  coming  generations.  Thus  the  practical 
value  of  physiology  is  recognized,  and  nearly 
every  State  in  the  Union  has  passed  a  law  com- 
pelling its  study  in  the  public  schools.  To  make 
it  interesting,  therefore,  is  worthy  the  attention 
of  educators. 

Teaching  by  metaphor,  parable,  and  allegory 
has  been  the  method  of  many  of  the  wisest 
teachers.  It  is  said  of  Jesus  that  "  without  a 
parable  spake  he  not  unto  them,"  so  we  may 
hold  it  as  not  beneath  the  dignity  of  instructors 


6  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

of  to-day  to  use  the  same  manner  of  presenting 
the  truth. 

No  one  can  claim  originaHty  in  comparing  the 
body  to  a  house,  for  that  comparison  is  as  old  as 
literature.  Ecclesiastes  refers  to  "  the  day  when 
the  keepers  of  the  house  shall  tremble  and  those 
that  look  out  of  the  windows  be  darkened  and 
the  door  shall  be  shut  in  the  streets."  Abernethy 
uses  a  homely  figure  when  he  says,  **  The  kitchen 
—  that  is,  your  stomach  —  being  out  of  order, 
the  garret — the  head  —  cannot  be  right,  and 
every  room  in  the  house  becomes  affected. 
Remedy  the  evil  in  the  kitchen,  and  all  will  be 
right  in  parlor  and  chamber." 

We  quote  from  Tennyson's  ''Deserted  House:" 

"  Life  and  Thought  have  gone  away 
Side  by  side, 

Leaving  door  and  windows  wide : 
Careless  tenants  they. 

"  All  within  is  dark  as  night : 
In  the  windows  is  no  light; 
And  no  murmur  at  the  door, 
So  frequent  on  its  hinge  before." 

The  author  in  this  volume  has  united  meta- 
phor with  scientific  facts,  and  even  in  this  she 
cannot  claim  originality.  Early  in  the  present 
century  Alcott  wrote  of  **  The  House  We  Live 
In,"  and  later  writers  on  physiology  have  followed 


PREFACE. 


in  his  footsteps.  But  the  simile  is  still  of  interest 
to  the  juvenile  mind  and,  as  science  is  ever  making 
discoveries,  there  is  a  demand  fornewand  interest- 
ing works  on  physiology. 

The  author  would  be  glad  to  acknowledge  all 
sources  of  information,  but  that  would  be  an 
almost  endless  task.  She  has  laid  under  con- 
tribution the  latest  scientific  authorities  and  be- 
lieves that  this  book  will  be  found  abreast  of  the 
science  of  to-day,  holding  ever  to  truth  as  it  now 
presents  itself,  and  never  sacrificing  facts  to  the 
'allegory. 

The  book  is  intended  for  home  use  or  as  a 
supplementary  reader,  text-book,  or  reference 
book  in  schools. 

With  thanks  to  the  friends  whose  words  of  ap- 
preciation have  given  her  encouragement,  and  to 
the  dear  daughter  whose  quick  intelligence  and 
willing  fingers  have  ever  been  at  her  command, 
the  author  presents  this  book  to  the  public  with 
the  prayerful  hope  that  it  may  awaken  a  deep 
and  living  interest  in  this  marvelous  mansion, 
stimulating  to  such  study  of  and  obedience  to  the 
laws  of  physiology  as  will  insure  that  sound  body 
which  is  the  beautiful  dwelling-place  of  a  sound 
mind.  Mary  Wood-Allen. 

Ann  Arbor,  Mich. 


PREFACE    TO    FOURTH    EDITION. 


When  a  writer  offers  a  new  work  to  this  poor  book- 
ridden  world  it  must  be  with  some  trepidation  and  a 
feeling  that  an  apology  would  be  appropriate. 

But  when  the  work  has  been  accepted  by  the  public 
and  new  editions  are  called  for,  the  writer  may  cer- 
tainly feel  that  the  responsibility  now  rests  with  those 
who  have  made  the  demand. 

It  is  with  much  pleasure  that  the  author  offers  the 
present  edition  of  this  volume  to  a  public  which  has 
been  most  generous  in  its  reception  of  the  book  in  its 
previous  editions. 

It  is  now  revised,  new  illustrations  have  been  added, 
and  it  is  made  altogether  more  attractive  and  worthy  of 
commendation. 

Many  thanks  are  due  to  the  services  of  Mr.  R.  D. 
Clippinger  who,  from  his  coign  of  vantage,  has  been 
able  to  assist  in  comparing  statements  and  making  them 
harmonize  with  the  present  advancement  of  science. 

So  with  the  new  century  the  book,  in  a  new  dress 
goes  forth  bearing  with  it  the  heartfelt  thanks  of  the 
author  to  all  who  have  been  its  friends  in  the  past  and 
an  earnest  wish  that  the  circle  of  kindly  readers  will 
widen  with  the  years. 

Mary  Wood-Allen. 

Ann   Arbor,    Michigan. 

8 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

PART  I. 
CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 

Introductory  13 

CHAPTER  n. 
The  Framework 17 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  Walls  and  Machinery  .         .        .        .        .        27 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Sheathing 45 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  PLUiMBING 48 

CHAPTER  VI. 
The  Thatch 53 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Upper  Story,  or  Cupola 56 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  General  Office 61 

9 


PAGB 


10  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING, 

CHAPTER  IX 

The  Reception  Room  and  Hall  ....        64 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  Kitchen 71 

CHAPTER  XL 

The  Butler's  Pantry o         76 

CHAPTER  XH. 
The  Dining-Room 79 

CHAPTER  Xni. 
The  Force-Pump 87 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
The  General  Manager 93 

CHAPTER  XV. 

The  Servants  .         .         .         .        . '       .        .        .       100 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
The  Purifying  Apparatus 104 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
The  Heating  Apparatus 119 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
The  Laboratory,  Manufactory,  and  Store-Room        .       125 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
The  Housekeeper's  Closets 129 


TABLE    OF  CONTENTS.  \\ 

CHAPTER  XX. 

1 
135 


PAGE 

The  Electrical  Apparatus 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
The  Wonderful  Clock 142 

CHAPTER  XXn. 

Regulator  and  Mainspring 146 

CHAPTER  XXni. 
Special  Watchmen »        •      '53 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
The  Windows 161 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

The  Photographic  Camera    .         .         .         .        .         .       165 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
The  Music-Room .181 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

The  Orchestrion 189 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

The  Library 196 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

The  Picture  Gallery 206 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

The  Chamber  of  Peace 209 


12  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

PART  II. 
CHAPTER  I. 

PAGB 

Helpful  Guests 217 

CHAPTER  11. 
Spicy  Visitors 226 

CHAPTER  III. 
Questionable  Guests .      231 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Treacherous  Companions       =....,      238 

CHAPTER  V. 
A  Deceitful  Friend 244 

CHAPTER  VI. 
The  Foe  of  the  Household  .        .        ,        .        ,      269 


THE   TAJ    MAHAL. 


CHAPTER  I. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

A  GREAT  many,  many  years  ago,  people 
thought  they  could  see  each  other  and — you 
think  we  see  each  other  now,  do  you,  Master 
Know-all?  You  will  probably  be  surprised  when  I 
tell  you  that  you  never  saw  any  one  in  your  life, 
and  no  one  ever  saw  you.  How  do  we  know  each 
other  then,  you  ask? — Why,  by  our  houses,  of 
course.  We  see  a  light  in  the  window,  or  hear  a 
voice  from  the  open  door,  and  know  that  the  person 
is  at  home,  but  we  never  see  him.  Another 
strange  thing  is  that  our  houses  are  all  built  after 
the  same  plan,  have  each  just  so  many  rooms, 
arranged  in  just  the  same  order,  with  just  the  same 
number  of  doors  and  windows.  You  shake  your 
head  as  if  you  scarcely  believed  me,  but  I  assure 
you  I  am  telling  you  only  the  truth.  You,  the 
real,  thinking,  enjoying,  knowing  you,  are  shut  up 
in  your  house,  and  will  never  go  out  of  it  as  long 
as  you  live  on  the  earth. 

You  entered  this  house  when  it  was  very  small, 
and  found  yourself  a  prisoner  in  it.     I  fancy  you 

did  not  like  it  very  well,  for  you  cried  out  for  help, 

13 


14  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

and  a  good  fairy  named  Aura  rushed  into  your 
house  and  took  possession  of  one  of  the  empty 
rooms,  and  has  made  her  home  there  ever  since. 
With  Aura  came  the  gift  of  earthly  Hfe.  May  be 
you  will  better  understand  me  if  I  tell  you  that 
Aura  is  the  Latin  name  for  air. 

Have  you  ever  taken  much  interest  in  learning 
about  your  body  and  how  to  keep  it  in  good  re- 
pair? If  a  man  builds  a  house  of  brick  or  stone, 
he  is  interested  in  keeping  it  in  order ;  he  insures 
it  against  fire,  and  if  the  roof  leaks  or  a  window  is 
broken,  he  does  not  think  it  an  evidence  of  good 
sense  to  be  indifferent,  but  he  calls  the  roofer  or 
glazier  at  once  to  repair  damages  ;  and  yet  he  could 
pull  this  house  down  and  rebuild  it,  he  could  sell 
it  or  give  it  away,  or  he  could  move  out  and  leave 
it  to  take  up  his  abode  in  another  dwelling;  but 
he  can  never  have  but  one  bodily  house,  and  this 
he  cannot  sell  nor  give  away.  He  can  tear  it 
down,  but  he  cannot  rebuild  it,  and  when  he 
moves  out  and  leaves  it,  he  is  done  with  earthly 
life.  It  is,  therefore,  very  important  that  he  should 
study  this  wonderful  house  and  its  needs,  so  that 
he  may  know  how  to  keep  it  in  repair  for  many 
years  of  happy,  useful  occupancy. 

Let  us  study  the  body  as  a  house  in  which  we 
dwell  here  on  earth,  a  house  built  by  a  divine 
Architect,    fitted    up  with  every  comfort,  divided 


INTR  OD  UC  TOR  Y.  15 


into  many  rooms,  each  with  its  own  appropriate 
furniture  and  adapted  to  its  own  especial  use.  It 
is  a  beautiful  building,  more  exquisitely  adorned 
than  any  structure  of  man's  creation. 

In  India  is  a  wonderful  building  called  the  Taj 
Mahal,  and  people  journey  from  the  farthest  parts 
of  the  earth  to  gaze  with  admiring  awe  upon  its 
magnificence.  It  took  twenty  thousand  workmen 
seventeen  years  to  build  it,  and  it  is  said  to  have 
cost  fifty  millions  of  dollars.  Still,  after  all,  it  is 
only  a  tomb,  erected  by  the  Emperor  Shah  Jehan 
in  memory  of  the  Empress  Momtazi  Mahal,  his 
beautiful,  cultured,  and  beloved  wife. 

But  your  bodily  house  is  more  marvelous  and 
beautiful  than  the  Taj  Mahal.  Its  design  is  more 
wonderful  and  complicated,  its  decorations  more 
exquisite,  its  value  far  greater.  Then,  too,  it  is 
not  a  tomb,  not  a  useless  monument  to  a  dead 
empress,  but  it  is  the  abode  of  an  immortal  being 
in  which  he  finds  shelter,  a  being  who  is  made  but 
little  lower  than  the  angels  and  whom  the  Great 
Creator  has  crowned  with  honor. 

Through  the  beautiful  windows  of  Man's  mar- 
vellous house  we  may  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  light 
he  has  kindled  by  the  glow  of  divine  love  or  the 
fire  of  base  passion.  Through  its  doorway  of 
speech  issues  the  voice  of  sweet  music  or  the  dis- 
cordant note  of  anger  that  betrays  the  feelings  of 


16  OUR   B ODIL  Y  D  WELLING. 

the  occupant.  Its  messengers  run  to  and  fro  on 
errands  of  mercy  or  business ;  its  servants  obey 
the  commands  of  the  master  and  minister  to  his 
needs.  Its  structure  embodies  wonders  of  mech- 
anism, skill  of  engineering,  and  prophesies  the 
improvements  of  modern  science.  It  is  the  oldest, 
the  most  beautiful,  the  most  perfect  dwelling  ever 
built. 

It  is  not  only  a  dwelling,  but  a  wonderful  work- 
shop, where  man  does  many  wonderful  things ;  a 
laboratory  wherein  many  marvellous  processes  are 
carried  on ;  a  manufactory  where  worn-out  mate- 
rials are  destroyed  and  new  substances  created. 

In  its  secret  chambers  of  thought  originate  the 
marvels  of  poetry,  music,  art,  and  literature  that 
proclaim  Man  worthy  of  the  honor  with  which  he 
is  crowned. 

As  it  is  only  through  his  house  that  Man 
becomes  acquainted  with  the  outside  world,  and 
only  by  means  of  it  is  he  able  to  carry  out  the 
projects  which  his  mind  conceives,  it  behooves 
him  to  learn  its  powers,  cultivate  its  organs,  study 
its  laws,  and  reverence  its  Creator. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  FRAME-WORK. 

DID  you  ever  see  a  house  walk?  I  saw  one 
moving  along  the  street  the  other  day,  but 
it  was  not  going  very  fast.  An  old  colored  man, 
who  was  once  asked  how  he  was  progressing  on 
his  heavenward  way,  replied  that  he  was  "  inch- 
ing along."  That  was  the  way  this  house  pro- 
gressed, although  there  were  ropes  and  wheels 
and  boards  and  rollers  and  a  man  and  a  horse  to 
assist  it. 

Our  bodily  house  is  four  stories  high,  but  by 
means  of  mechanical  contrivances  it  can  walk,  or 
run,  or  turn  handsprings,  or  climb  trees,  or  dive 
into  the  water,  or  turn  itself  upside  down  and 
stand  on  the  upper  story. 

About  two  hundred  pieces  of  a  material  called 
bone  are  united  to  form  the  frame-work  of  the 
house.  These  pieces  are  long,  short,  flat,  or  irreg- 
ular in  shape,  and  when  all  are  fastened  together, 
they  form  what  is  called  the  "  skeleton."  You 
know  that  boards  may  be  united  by  splicing,  dove- 
tailing, or  mortising,  or  by  means  of  contrivances 

17 


18  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

that  hold  them  close  together  and  yet  permit  easy 
motion  between  them.  We  find  the  same  methods 
of  union  in  the  frame-work  of  the  bodily  house. 

OCCri^TAL     OONC 


PARICTALBONELJ 

SUTURES 


rORtHEAO  OR 
rRONTAL  GONE. 


The  dome  of  the  topmost  story  is  formed  of  many 
pieces  of  bone  united  by  dove-tailing  or  by  splicing. 

The  third  story,  called  the  thorax,  has  a  frame- 
work of  curved  beams  which  we  commonly  speak 
of  as  the  ribs.  These  are  twelve  in  number  and 
in  the  back  are  attached  to  the  spine.  The  upper 
seven  of  them  on  each  side  are  fastened  to  a  bone 
in  front  known  as  the  sternum,  or  breast  bone. 
The  next  three  are  attached  to  the  seventh  by 
cartilage,  and  the  lower  two   are  fastened  to  the 


THE  FRAME-WORK.  19 

Spine   only,  the  front  ends  not  being  attached  to 
anything.     Hence  they  are  called  floating  ribs. 


From  the  thorax  rises  the  short  tower  of  the 
neck,  which  supports  the  upper  story  or  head. 
The  second  story  is  called  the  abdomen  and  its 
only  bony  structure  is  the  spine.  The  lowest  story 
of  all  is  called  the  pelvis  and  has  a  large  bony 
frame,  solid  and  strong,  for  it  not  only  has  to  sup- 
port the  stories  above,  but  to  it  are  attached  the 
jointed  stilts,  or  legs,  which  carry  the  house  about. 

Our  residences  are  often  adorned  with  columns ; 
our  bodily  dwelling  has  but  one,  called  the  spinal 
column,  but  that  is  of  great  importance.  It  unites 
the  four  stories  and  forms  part  of  the  frame-work 


20 


OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 


of  the  three  lower  stories.     The  spinal  column  is 

long    and    flexible    and    composed   of   twenty-six 

bones ;  in  shape  they  are  like 

short  spools  with  handles  on 

one  side,   and  are  set  one  on 

the    other,    the    handles    all 

pointing    the    same   way.      I 

said   one  on  the    other,    but, 

in  reality,  there  are  cushions 

of    cartilage     between    each 

two  bones,  and  this  is  what 

makes    it    possible    to    bend 

the    column,  for  the  cushions 

will  yield  on  pressure.     You 

see    that    everything    about 

the  framework  of  our  house 

is  arranged  to  allow  motion. 

The    spine    is    not    straight, 

but     curves    something    like 

an    elongated    letter    S,    and 

this  makes  a  sort  of    spring 

which    yields    to    the     shock 

of    jumping     and     walking, 

and     prevents    the    furniture 

and  machinery  in  the  differ-     diagram  of  spine. 


THE  FRAME-WORK.  21 

ent  rooms  from  being  jarred  out  of  place  or  other- 
wise injured. 

In  the  mechanical  appendages,  which  we  call 
arms  and  legs,  different  sorts  of  movable  joints 
are  employed.  The  ball-and-socket  joint  is  one 
in  which  the  rounded  end  of  one  bone  fits  into  a 
cup-like  hollow  in  another  bone.  The  hinge-joint 
allows  of  motion  only  in  one  direction,  like  the 
hinge-joint  of  a  door,  A  boy  could  not  play 
baseball  very  well  if  he  had  a  ball  and-socket  joint 
at  elbows  and  knees,  and  a  hinge-joint  at  hips  and 
shoulders,  so  he  will  appreciate  the  fact  that  this 
condition  is  reversed,  and  that  the  joints  which 
allow  freedom  of  motion  are  placed  at  hip  and 
shoulders,  and  the  hinge-joints  at  elbows  and  knees. 


The  atlas,  or  the  first  vertebra,  viewed  from  above;  (i)  the  process  of  the  axis; 
(2)  the  opening  of  the  spinal  cord;  3)  the  place  on  which  the  skull  rests. 
The  dotted  line  represents  a  ligament  which  holds  the  process,  (i)  in  place. 

The  upper  story,  or  head,  is  united  to  the  spinal 
column  by  a  pivot  joint;   that  is,  a  projection  of 


22  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

one  bone  is  surrounded  by  a  ring  of  another  bone, 
and  that  allows  a  turning  and  twisting  motion. 


The  axis,  or  the  second  vertebra,  viewed  from  the  side:     (i)   the  process 
on  which  the  atlas  turns;   (2)  the  place  on  which  the  atlas  rests. 

I  have  not  time  to  tell  you  about  all  of  the 
admirable  contrivances  of  the  frame-work  of  this 
wonderful  house,  but  I  advise  you  to  study  it. 
Instead  of  thinking  of  the  bony  skeleton  as  a 
frightful  thing,  consider  it  a  marvelous  piece  of 
machinery,  wonderfully  adapted  to  a  designed  pur- 
pose, and  affording  lessons  in  mechanism  to  the 
wisest  builders  and  engineers. 

Now  perhaps  you  will  say,  *'  You  told  us  that 
the  frame-work  of  the  body  is  made  of  bone,  but 
what  is  bone  made  of?"  The  chemist  tells  us  that 
bones  are  made  of  animal  and  earthy  matter,  and 
that  we  can  prove  this  for  ourselves  if  we  wish. 
We  can  destroy  the  animal  matter  by  burning  the 
bone,  and  the  earthy  matter  thus  left  will  still  keep 
the  shape  of  the  bone,  but  it  will  crumble  to  pieces 
at  the  slightest  touch.     If  we  put  two  ounces  of 


THE  FRAME-WORK.  23 

muriatic  acid  in  one  pint  of  water,  and  soak  a 
bone  in  it  for  two  or  three  days,  the  earthy  matter 
will  be  dissolved,  while  the  shape  of  the  bone  will 
be  unchanged.  It  will  be  so  flexible  that  we  can 
tie  it  in  a  knot  without  breaking  it.  This  might 
make  it  very  pretty  to  look  at,  but  such  bones 
would  not  make  a  very  solid  frame-work  for  our 
bodily  house,  so  it  is  quite  important  that  we 
should  learn  how  bones  grow  and  wh-ether  there 
is  anything  we  can  do  to  make  them  strong.  The 
bones  of  little  children  are  mostly  of  animal  matter 
so  that  they  bend  easily  and  are  not  so  easily 
broken.  The  bones  of  older  people  break  more 
readily  because  they  have  a  much  larger  pro- 
portion of  earthy  matter.  When  we  come  to  talk 
of  the  guests  which  man  entertains  in  his  bodily 
dwelling,  we  shall  have  something  to  say  of  how 
bones  may  be  made  strong  and  kept  in  good  health. 
The  foundations  of  many  buildings  are  made  of 
stone  and  cemented  with  mortar,  and  mortar  is 
made  of  lime.  Bones  are  made  strong  by  lime  in 
various  forms,  so  they  are  not  unlike  foundations 
after  all.  If  we  could  look  into  the  bones  of  a 
living  child,  we  would  see  them  changing  from  the 
soft,  flexible  bones  of  the  baby  to  the  strong,  hard 
bones  of  the  man  by  the  accumulation,  at  various 
points,  of  little  bits  of  lime,  or  calcareous  matter. 
They  are  beginning  to  ossify,  or  bonify,  if  we  may 


24  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

make  a  word.  These  limey  spots  grow  bigger  and 
bigger  until  they  unite  in  one  hard  bone.  But, 
although  the  bones  are  hard,  they  are  not  solid. 
Even  flat  bones  are  made  with  little  holes  in  their 
substance,  which  give  them  a  kind  of  spongy  appear- 
ance, and  the  shafts  of  the  long  bones  are  hollow. 
The  ends  of  the  long  bones  are  large  and  rounded 
to  form  the  joints,  and  are  tipped  with  cushions  of 
cartilage,  or  gristle.     They  are  held  together  by 


bands  called  ligaments,  and  are  enclosed  in  a  sac 
having  the  power  to  make  a  fluid  which,  in  a  way, 
oils  the  joints.  At  railway  stations  you  have  often 
seen  a  man  oiling  the  wheels  of  a  train ;  or  per- 
haps the  train  stopped  between  stations,  and  when 
people  asked,  "What  is  the  matter?"  the  answer 
was  "  Hot-box."  Looking  out  of  the  window,  you 
have  seen  men  pouring  water  on  a  smoking  axle, 
and  were  told  that  the  friction  had  been  so  great 
that  smoke,  or  even  fire,  had  resulted.  And  that 
was  perhaps  because  some  one  had  forgotten*  to 
oil  that  wheel.  But  the  machinery  of  our  bodily 
house  oils  itself,  and  that  saves  us  a  great  deal  of 


THE   FRAME-WORK.  25 

anxiety    for     fear    that     we      may     forget    some 
important  part. 

The  frame-work  is  held  together  by  the  white, 
shining  ligaments,  which  are  tough  and  strong,  but 
flexible.  So  now  we  have  the  frame-work  jointed 
and  tied  together,  but  it  hangs  still  and  motionless. 


^mnAM   OF  FRAME-WORK  OF  THE  BODY, 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  WALLS  AND  }vL\CHIXERY. 

THE  walls  of  the  buildings  at  the  great  Colum- 
bian Exposition  were  covered  with  a  material 
called  staff.  This  is  a  composition  of  plaster  of 
Paris  which  can  be  formed  into  many  beautiful 
shapes,  and  will  in  time  become  hard  and  un- 
changeable. The  walls  enclosing  the  various 
apartments  of  our  bodily  dwellings  are  made  of  a 
substance  called  muscle,  a  material  which  permits 
the  house  to  assume  many  shapes  and  change 
them  often. 

Instead  of  being  injured  by  the  constant  variety 
of  attitudes,  the  walls  grow  stronger  the  more  they 
are  used.  Muscles  not  only  form  the  walls,  but 
they  are  also  the  machinery  for  moving  the  bony 
frame-work,  so  muscles  cover  the  arms  and  legs  as 
well  as  the  trunk  of  the  body. 

I  once  went  into  a  Swedish  movement  room 
where,  making  a  great  din,  were  many  machines, 
the  purpose  of  which  was  to  exercise  the  various 
parts  of  the  body,  and  people  were  going  from 
one  to  another  to  be  exercised.  Here  was  a 
27 


28  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING, 

machine  that  shook  the  feet  sidewise  ;  another  that 
vibrated  them  up  and  down ;  here,  a  machine  that 
twisted  the  body ;  and  here,  one  that  Hfted  and 
dropped  the  shoulders.  All  the  machines  were 
running  at  the  same  rate  of  speed,  and  repeating 
the  motion  just  so  often  without  variation. 

''This  is  very  clever,"  I  thought,  and  then  I 
remembered  our  bodily  dwelling,  and  said,  "  How 
much  more  is  its  mechanism  to  be  admired  ! 
There  is  no  noise,  the  movements  vary  in  speed  at 
any  instant,  as  Man  wills,  and  all  are  combined  in 
one  compact  machine  always  at  hand  and  ready  for 
use,  so  that  he  does  not  have  to  go  to  one  place  to 
shake  his  hands  and  to  another  to  shake  his  feet, 
and  to  still  another  to  twist  his  body." 

But  what  moves  this  muscular  machinery?  In 
the  Swedish  movement  room  we  could  see  the 
whirling  wheels  and  bands  and  we  knew  that  in 
another  room  was  an  engine  that  transmitted  power 
through  shafts  to  them.  But  we  cannot  see  such 
an  arrangement  in  our  muscles.  This  brings  me 
to  tell  you  of  the  wonderful  properties  of  muscles. 
The  first  I  shall  name  is  contractility.  When 
you  want  some  one  to  know  what  strong  muscles 
you  have,  you  ask  him  to  feel  of  your  arm,  and 
then  you  clinch  your  fist,  and  bend  your  elbow 
and  say,  *'  Can  you  feel  it  swell?  " 

It  was  the  swelling  of  the  muscles  that  made  the 


THE    WALLS  AND  MACHLNERY. 


29 


elbow  bend.  The  muscles  contracted  and  grew 
shorter  and  at  the  same  time  larger  around.  This 
is  what  is  meant  by  contractility,  and  it  is  by  this 
property  of  muscles  that  all  movements  are  made. 
We  have  little  idea- of  the  force  with  which  muscles 
contract,  they  move  so  easily,  but  we  are  told  that 
with  a  ten-pound  weight  in  the  hand  the  muscles 
that  bend  the  elbow  contract  with  a  force  of  two 
hundred  pounds.  It  is  also  said  that  a  muscle 
contracts  better  when  it  has  a  weight  to  lift  than 
when  it  has  none.  Below  is  an  illustration  of  the 
contractility  of  muscle. 


The  second  property  of  muscles  is  irritability. 
That  does  not  mean  that  they  get  cross  if  called 
on  to  work  but  it  means  that  they  respond  to 
stimuli.  A  boy  that  is  hopping  about  in  a  lively 
manner  while  being  punished  is  responding  to  the 


so 


THE    WALLS  AND  MACHINERY.  31 

stimulus  of  the  whip.  When  he  goes  quietly  to 
obey  his  father's  orders,  he  is  responding  to  the 
stimulus  of  a  command. 

The  usual  stimulus  of  the  muscles  is  will-power 
sent  over  the  nerves.  But  muscles  also  respond  to 
the  stimulus  of  heat,  or  to  pricking,  or  pinching, 
or  to  electricity. 

Muscles  have  also  the  property  of  elasticity; 
that  is,  of  going  back  to  their  original  length  after 
being  stretched,  as  apiece  of  rubber  does  ;  and  that 
is  an  important  quality,  you  see,  or  it  might  be  a 
serious  matter  to  stretch  our  muscles,  and  we  would 
be  kept  from  doing  many  things  we  want  to  do  for 
fear  we  could  not  get  our  muscles  back  again  as 
they  were.  But  our  muscles  are  always  slightly 
on  the  stretch.  If  it  were  not  so  we  should  be 
obliged  to  *'  take  in  slack,"  as  it  were,  whenever 
we  want  to  make  a  motion  before  the  movement 
could  begin ;  but  because  they  are  always  slightly 
stretched,  they  can  begin  to  contract  as  soon  as 
the  stimulus  is  felt. 

If  muscles  were  used  only  as  the  walls  of  our 
house,  they  might  be  laid  over  the  fram.e-work  in 
flat  masses,  but  as  they  are  the  motor  power  to 
lift  and  move  the  bony  levers,  they  must  be  con- 
structed and  attached  with  that  object  in  view. 

Most  muscles  are  made  up  of  bundles  of  fleshy 
strings  called  fibers,  and  each  fiber  is  made  up  of 


MUSCLES   OF  BACK   OF   BODY. 


THE    WALLS  AND   MACHINERY. 


33 


very  fine,  small  threads  called  fibrils.  Each  fiber 
is  wrapped  in  a  thin  membrane,  and  a  bundle  of 
fibers    wrapped    in    another    membrane  makes    a 


muscle.  Fibrils  are  finer  than  cobweb,  so  fine, 
indeed,  that  it  would  need  many  thousands  of  them 
to  make  a  bundle  an  inch  thick.  You  will  better 
understand  how  muscles  are  made,  perhaps,  if  you 
examine  a  spool  of  cotton.     You  might  think  the 


Fibers  of  (i)  White  Fibrous,  and  {■2)  Yellow  Elastic  Tissue, 

thread  all  of  one  piece,  but  by  twisting  it  toward 
you,  you  will  discover  three  strands ;  each  of  these 
can  be  separated  into  still  finer  strands,  and  each  of 


34  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

these  into  finer  ones  still.  These  last  represent  the 
fibrils.  There  is  one  difference,  however,  between 
fibers  of  thread  and  those  of  muscle.  In  thread 
the  fibers  are   twisted    together ;    in   muscles  they 


MUSCULAR   FIBER    SEPARATED. 

A  into  fibers  and  B  into  discs.     C  is  a  highly  magnified  portion  of  a  fiber. 

lie  side  by  side  and  are  held  together  by  a  fine 
network  of  connective  tissue ;  fat  is  packed  around 
to  fill  all  the  spaces  and  form  cushions  to  round  out 
the  body  and  make  it  look  plump.  Each  muscle 
has  a  thick  middle  part  and  tapers  at  the  ends  into 
a  strong  white  cord  or  band,  called  a  tendon,  and 
these  tendons  are  fastened  to  the  bones.  There 
are  more  than  twice  as  many  muscles  as  bones ; 
that  is,  nearly  five  hundred,  and  they  work  in  pairs 
that  oppose  each  other.  It  is  not  always  "  a  long 
pull  and  a  strong  pull  and  a  pull  all  together  " 
with  the  muscles,  but  it  is  more  like  a  "  you  pull 
against  me  and  I'll  pull  against  you,  and  between 
us  we'll  keep  things  straight."  So  when  the 
work  of  one  muscle  is  to  bend  any  part  of  the  body, 


THE    WALLS  AND   MACHINERY.  35 

there  will  always  be  found  an  opposing  muscle  to 
straighten  it.  Those  which  bend  are  flexors. 
Those  which  straighten  are  extensors. 

Think  what  a  complicated  machine  this  body  is. 
Why,  it  takes  six  littie  muscles  to  turn  the  eyeballs 
in  various  directions,  and  there  are  about  fifty 
in  the  arm  and  hand.  These  muscles  under 
the  microscope  show  a  striped  appearance  and 
are  called  striated  or  striped  muscles.  Others, 
found  chiefly  in  hollow  organs,  as  the  stomach, 
intestines,  and  blood  vessels,  do  not  appear  striped 
and  are  therefore  called  non-striated  or  unstriped 
muscles. 

Muscles  are  of  different  shapes.  Some  round, 
some  flat,  some  long,  others  short,  some  very 
large,  and  some  very  small,  and  all  have  names. 
Sometimes  the  names  are  bigger  and  longer  than 
the  muscles  themselves.  For  instance,  the  one  that 
lifts  the  upper  lip  and  expands  the  nostrils  is 
called  the  Levator  Labii  Superioris  Alaeqiie  Nasi. 
Just  think  what  a  trouble  it  would  be  to  call  it  by 
name  every  time  you  want  it  to  work.  Or  imagine 
that  you  could  never  frown  unless  you  called  on  the 
Corricgator  Sicpercilli  to  pucker  your  forehead  for 
you.  It  is  a  good  thing  for  us  that  we  can  learn 
to  manage  our  bodily  machinery  without  knowing 
anything  about  the  Latin  names  of  the  various 
parts,  and  the  boy  enjoys  climbing  trees  even  if  he 


86  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

knows  nothing  about  the  Latissimus  Dorsi  that 
pulls  his  arms  back  and  enables  him  to  climb. 

Walking  through  the  streets  of  a  Southern  city, 
my  attention  was  attracted  by  a  row  of  dilapidated 
tenement  houses.  The  roof  of  one  house  sank 
in  the  middle  until  it  made  me  think  of  a  **sway- 
back"  horse.  One  house  had  leaned  over  to  one 
side  until  it  seemed  that  it  must  certainly  fall,  and 
two  had  settled  backward  so  that  they  looked  as 
if  they  were  tired,  and  were  just  going  to  sit  down. 

They  were  picturesque,  but  no  one  would 
earnestly  desire  to  live  in  them,  and  to  my  eye  a 
body  that  caves  in  at  the  thorax,  and  curves  out 
at  the  shoulders,  and  whose  neck  is  a  veritable 
leaning  tower  with  the  cupola  balanced  at  a  pre- 
carious angle,  is  not  to  be  admired,  but  most 
certainly  to  be  avoided. 

The  erect  attitude  of  the  body  maintains  a 
vertical  line  from  the  center  of  the  head  down 
through  the  shoulders  and  hips  to  the  ground.  If 
the  line  between  the  shoulders  and  hips  is  in  any 
degree  oblique,  the  body  is  not  balanced  on  the 
balls  of  the  feet  as  it  ought  to  be,  but  rests  too 
much  on  the  heels.  If  we  closely  observe  people 
in  our  streets,  we  shall  see  that  the  majority  carry 
the  shoulders  back  of  the  hips.  This  throws  the 
body  out  of  balance,  and  as  a  consequence  the 
head  is  projected  forward,  the  back  is  rounded,  the 


TH'E    WALLS  AND  MACHINERY.  37 

chest  is  compressed,  the  abdomen  made  promi- 
nent, and  the  beautiful  curves  of  the  spine  entirely 
changed.  This  attitude  is  not  only  unhealthful 
but  ungraceful,  and  effectually  prevents  a  dignified 
carriage  and  gait.     - 

The  habit  of  stooping  is  often  acquired  in 
schools,  and  parents,  seeing  the  shoulders  becom- 
ing rounded,  keep  up  a  continual  cry  of,  "■  Draw 
your  shoulders  back  "  ;  and  in  the  attempt  to 
obey  this  order,  the  vertical  line  before  mentioned 
becomes  an  oblique  line  and  the  ungainliness  of 
attitude  is  emphasized  rather  than  overcome. 

To  prevent  or  to  cure  round  shoulders  we  have 
only  to  remember  that  the  cause  is  not  in  the 
shoulders  but  in  the  disuse  of  those  muscles  which 
should  hold  up  the  front  of  the  body.  The  mili- 
tary attitude  accomplishes  the  desired  result. 
The  orders  are  to  elevate  the  chest,  draw  in  the 
chin,  draw  back  the  abdomen,  and  let  the  arms 
hang  naturally.  To  follow  this  rule  is  at  once  to 
overcome  the  round  shoulders. 

If,  instead  of  continually  blaming  the  shoulders 
and  trying  to  correct  them,  we  should  give  our 
thought  and  attention  to  the  strengthening  of  the 
muscles  of  the  trunk  of  the  body,  especially  the 
front-waist  muscles,  we  would  have  adopted  the 
most  effectual  means  of  procuring  an  erect  and 
graceful  attitude.      Holding  the  chest  well  up    is 


38  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

very  important,  and  by  a  very  simple  method  we 
can  be  sure  that  we  accomplish  this. 

Stand  with  the  face  to  a  blank  wall,  the  toes 
touching;  now  bring  the  chest  to  the  wall,  keeping 
the  abdomen  back  so  that  there  will  be  a  space 
between  it  and  the  wall.  This  is  about  the 
correct  position.  At  first  we  may  feel  as  if  we 
were  falling  forward,  but  a  glance  into  a  mirror,  as 
we  stand  sidewise  before  it,  will  show  us  that  our 
attitude  is  merely  an  erect  one,  and  this  glance 
also  will  prove  to  us  that  this  position  adds  greatly 
to  the  beauty  and  dignity  of  the  person.  More 
than  that,  it  adds  to  the  health,  because  the  body 
being  perfectly  balanced,  all  its  internal  organs  are 
rightly  related  to  each  other ;  they  have  room  to 
work  harmoniously,  and  the  result  will  be  mani- 
fest, not  only  in  increased  beauty  of  outline,  but 
in  a  better  digestion,  a  brighter  eye,  a  more  glow- 
ing cheek,  and  a  clearer  mind. 


40  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 


Description  of  Accompanying  Cuts.^ 

Fig.  I.  This  is  a  good  standing  position  but  if 
maintained  any  length  of  time  is  wearisome, 
as  it  keeps  both  legs  in  a  state  of  muscular 
activity,  whereas  they  should  work  alternately. 

Fig.  2.  Position  in  walking.  Also  good  rest 
position  as  it  can  be  maintained  some  time 
without  fatigue. 

Fig.  3.  Gives  a  broad  base  and  is  therefore  often 
assumed.  It  is  not  desirable,  as  it  produces 
slight  curvature  of  the  spine,  and  makes  the 
body  unsymmetrical. 

Fig.  4.  Good  sitting  position.  Should  become 
habitual. 

Fig.  5.     A  very  bad  attitude  as  it  twists  the  spine. 

Fig.  6.  An  improper  position  pushing  the 
shoulders  up. 

Fig.  7.  An  improper  attitude,  as  it  makes  the 
left  side  shorter  than  the  right. 

Fig.  8.  Very  bad  position,  cramping  the  chest, 
crowding  the  contents  of  the  abdomen  down- 
ward. 

Fig.  9.  Very  bad  attitude,  strains  the  spine,  and 
tends  to  produce  permanent  curvature. 

•  These   cuts  are    from   the   Educational  Review,  by  permission   of   Holt 
&  Company  and  of  Dr.  Eliza  Mosher. 


41 


42 


43 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE   SHEATHING. 

ACROSS  the  street  I  see  men  covering  the 
frame  of  a  new  house.  They  first  put  on  a 
layer  of  rough  boards ;  over  these,  a  layer  of  felt 
paper,  then  narrow  boards,  the  lower  edges  of 
which  overlap  the  boards  beneath.  This  makes 
a  tight,  warm,  water-proof  protection  to  the  rooms 
inside.  Our  bodily  house  must  also  have  a 
protecting  covering;  but  if  it  were  nailed  on,  all 
the  elaborate  machinery  made  to  move  it  about 
would  be  of  no  use.  Just  imagine  how  it  would 
be  if  we  were  afraid  of  breaking  to  pieces  if  we 
ran  about,  or  of  pulling  out  the  nails  that  fastened 
our  sidings  on  if  we  wanted  to  jump  or  climb  ! 

The  sheathing  of  our  wonderful  house  is  the 
skin,  and  the  outer  layer  is  formed  of  overlapping 
pieces  more  like  scales  or  shingles  than  siding. 
This  is  called  the  epidermis, '  or  scarf-skin. 
Beneath  this  is  the  dermis,  or  true  skin,  which  is 
made  of  both  muscular  and  elastic  fibers  filled 
in  with  fat.  The  dermis  is  the  part  through  which 
run  the    plumbing   tubes  spoken    of    in   the    last 

45 


46  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

chapter,  and  in  it  also  are  the  ends  of  the  electric 
wires  or  nerves  that  carry  messages  from  the  cen- 
tral ofifice  to  all  parts  of  the  house. 

In  the  building  which  the  carpenters  are  cover- 
ing with  boards,  the  rough  ones  are  put  underneath 
and  the  smooth  ones  outside,  and  then  a  coat  of 
paint  is  put  on  to  give  it  a  beautiful  color.  One 
peculiarity  of  the  work  of  the  divine  Architect  is  the 
more  closely  and  deeply  we  examine  it,  the  more 
beautiful  we  discover  it  to  be.  The  outer  covering 
is  the  coarse  one,  made  as  it  is  of  horny  scales 
that  grow  harder  and  harder  as  they  are  used, 
until,  in  places  like  the  palm  of  the  laborer's  hand, 
they  form  what  we  call  a  callous.  Under  this  coarse 
outside  covering  is  the  beautiful  true  skin,  blushing 
with  the  bright  color  of  the  blood  with  which  it  is  so 
richly  supplied.  The  divine  Architect  does  not 
paint  the  bodily  house  on  the  outside,  but  in  the 
lower  layer  of  the  upper  skin  is  deposited  a 
pigment  which  gives  the  house  its  hue.  Some 
houses  are  a  beautiful  pink  and  white ;  in  them 
there  is  little  of  the  pigment  or  coloring  matter. 
Others  are  yellow,  others  deep  brown,  and  some 
are  quite  black  ;  but,  if  the  outer  skin  be  removed, 
the  true  skin  will  be  found  to  be  just  alike  in  all. 

The  oiifice  of  the  skin  is  to  protect  the  body;  to 
keep  it  warm ;  to  regulate  the  temperature ;  to 
carry  the  plumbing  tubes  of  the  blood  vessels  and 


THE   SHEA  THING. 


47 


sweat  glands,  and  the  electric  wires  of  the  nerves; 
and  to  hold  the  oil  glands  that  keep  it  soft  and 
smooth. 


SECTION  OF   SKIN. 


A.  Sweat  gland.     B.  Hair  in  its  follicle. 
C.  Epidermis.        D.  Dermis. 
E.  Sebaceous.        M^  Muscle. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE   PLUMBING. 

A  VERY  important  part  of  every  modern  house 
-^^^  is  the  plumbing.  Water  pipes,  gas  pipes, 
drainage  pipes,  electric  wires,  and  speaking  tubes 
run  in  the  walls,  and  between  the  floors,  and  the 
health  and  comfort  of  the  household  depend  upon 
the  perfection  of  the  plumber's  work.  Knowing 
that  the  divine  Architect  is  all-wise,  we  would  nat- 
urally expect  the  plumbing  of  our  bodily  dwelling 
to  be  perfect,  and  we  are  not  disappointed.  That 
is,  it  is  created  perfect,  but  we  often  let  it  get  out 
of  repair,  and  then  we  suffer.  Perhaps  we  blame 
the  Architect  for  this  when  we  ourselves  are  at  fault. 
Minute  tubes,  called  blood  vessels,  some  convey- 
ing fluid  nourishment  and  others  carrying  away 
waste  material,  pass  through  the  muscular  walls 
and  even  through  the  solid  substance  of  the  bones. 
The  muscles  are  covered  by  a  sheathing  called  the 
skin  which  is  full  of  tubes,  so  full  that  you  cannot 
put  down  the  point  of  a  pin  anywhere  upon  it 
without  opening  many  of  them  and  drawing  blood. 
In  the  skin  is  also  a  system  of  drainage  pipes 
48 


THE   PLUMBING,  49 

called  sweat  glands.  (See  illustration  on  page  47.) 
They  are  very  fine  tubes,  so  short  that  ten  of  them, 
end  to  end,  would  only  make  an  inch  in  length, 
and  yet  there  are  so  many  of  them  in  the  body  all 
coiled  up  into  knots,  that  if  they  were  straightened 
out  and  laid  end  to  end  they  would  reach  over  four 
miles.     There  is  something  for  you  to  think  about. 

In  this  chapter  we  learn  only  of  the  drainage 
pipes  which  are  located  in  the  skin,  while  the  tubes 
that  carry  fluids  to  all  parts  of  the  body  and  those 
which  act  as  drainage  pipes  to  carry  off  waste 
matter  from  the  interior  will  be  described  in  the 
various  rooms  to  which  they  belong. 

If  a  drop  of  water  falls  on  a  hot  stove,  it  dries  so 
quickly  that  we  see  no  steam,  but  if  we  pour^on  a 
large  quantity  at  once  we  see  the  vapor  and  know 
that  the  water  is  evaporated.  When  you  run  and 
get  very  warm,  the  sweat  glands  pour  out  water 
on  the  skin  in  large  drops  which  are  called  per- 
spiration. These  glands  are  not  idle  even  while  we 
do  not  see  the  water  on  the  surface  of  the  body. 
They  are  at  work  all  the  time,  but  the  water 
usually  evaporates  as  soon  as  it  reaches  the 
surface.  This  we  call  insensible  perspiration.  It 
is  all  the  time  passing  from  the  skin,  and  we  are 
told  that  it  amounts  to  nearly  two  pounds  in 
twenty-four  hours.  When  we  exercise,  it  is  greatly 
increased  and  may  amount  to  one  pound  in  one 


50 


OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 


hour.  This  waste  of  water  on  the  surface  of  the 
body  must  be  replaced  by  the  water  we  drink,  and 
that  explains  why  we  are  so  thirsty  in  hot  weather 
or  when  we  exercise.  Heat  causes  these  glands 
to  throw  out  water  rapidly,  and  the  evaporation 
of  the  water  carries  off  the  heat  of  the  body  and 
keeps  the  temperature  down  to  the  normal  point. 
If  for  any  reason  we  cannot  perspire  in  hot  weather, 
or  when  we  exercise,  we  suffer  greatly. 


VERTICAL   SECTION  OF  THE   SKIN. 
A'  Hair;  B,  Sweat  pore;  C,  Epidermis,  or  outer  layer  of  skin;  D,  Dermis,  or 
inner  layer  of  skin;   E,  Oil   glands;  F,  Fat  Cells;  G,  Sweat 
gland;  H,  Hair  bulb;   I.  Blood  tube. 


The  perspiration  is  something  besides  water ;  it 
contains  solid  waste  material,  which,  as  the  water 
evaporates,  is  left  on  the  skin  and  stops  up  the 
little  drainage  tubes,  unless  we  keep  them  open  by 


THE  PLUMBING.  51 


frequent  bathing.  The  little  oil  glands  in  the  skin 
pour  out  a  fatty  secretion  that  dries  on  the  surface, 
and  the  skin  itself  sheds  little  pieces  of  worn-out 
substance,  which  are  caught  in  the  perspiration  as 
it  dries,  and  cling  to  the  surface.  If  we  want  the 
drainage  of  our  bodily  house  to  be  faultless,  we 
must  keep  these  tubes  open  by  the  frequent  use  of 
soap  and  warm  water. 

A  few  practical  suggestions  as  to  taking  care  of 
the  skin  so  that  its  water-pipes  may  be  kept  in 
working  order  will  not  be  amiss. 

Rules  for  Bathing. 

1 .  Never  bathe  sooner  than  two  hours  after  a 
meal.  To  draw  the  blood  to  the  surface  of  the 
body  soon  after  eating  interferes  with  digestion. 
Going  in  swimming  soon  after  eating  is  especially 
dangerous,  and  a  post-mortem  examination  of  those 
who  have  lost  their  lives  in  this  way  reveals  the 
fact  that  the  pressure  of  the  water  forces  the  con- 
tents of  the  full  stomach  up  into  the  esophagus 
and  throat,  and  from  there  they  are  drawn  into 
the  trachea,  causing  suffocation.  On  the  other 
hand,  one  should  not  eat  under  an  hour  after 
bathing. 

2.  Feeble  persons  should  rest  after  bathing 
until  the  equilibrium  of  the  circulation  is  restored. 
Those  who  are  vigorous  may  exercise  after  a  bath. 


52  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

3.  Never  bathe  when  completely  exhausted. 
A  bath,  to  be  beneficial,  must  be  followed  by  com- 
plete reaction,  or  sensation  of  warmth,  and  this  is 
not  possible  when  a  person  is  fatigued. 

4.  The  temperature  of  the  bath-room  is  of 
importance,  for,  if  too  cold,  it  will  require  too 
much  vitality  to  react.  If  the  bath  leaves  the  skin 
blue  and  cold,  and  the  person  shivers  and  cannot 
get  warm  for  some  hours,  it  has  been  an  injury. 

5.  The  hot  bath  should  be  followed  by  a  quick 
application  of  cold  water,  so  as  to  leave  the  skin 
in  a  tonic  condition,  thus  lessening  the  danger  of 
taking  cold. 

The  time  of  day  best  suited  for  an  individual  to 
bathe  must  be  decided  by  his  peculiarities,  or  by 
the  circumstances  of  his  life.  Perhaps,  theoreti- 
cally, ten  or  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning  is  the 
best  time,  but,  practically,  this  is,  for  most  people, 
a  very  inconvenient  hour.  Delicate  people,  per- 
haps, would  do  best  to  bathe  just  before  going  to 
bed.  Vigorous  people  might  bathe  on  rising  in 
the  morning.  Rubbing  with  olive  oil  or  cocoa 
butter  after  the  bath  keeps  the  skin  smooth  and 
supple,  and  acts  also  as  a  sort  of  covering  to  pre- 
vent taking  cold. 

Dry  rubbing  of  the  skin  may  also  be  employed 
in  place  of  the  bath.  It  will  remove  the  dead 
scales  of  the  scarf  skin  and  keep  the  pores  open. 


CHAPTER   VI. 
The  Thatch. 

IN  the  old  world,  houses  are  often  thatched  with 
straw  instead  of  being  roofed  with  shingles, 
slate,  or  tin,  and  we  may  say  that  our  house  has  a 
thatch,  not  of  straw,  but  of  hair.  Little  new 
houses  have  not  much  thatch,  and  in  old  houses 
the  thatch  is  sometimes  worn  off,  and  then  we  say 
they  are  bald.  Hairs  grow  from  little  pockets  in 
the  skin ;  and,  in  fact,  they  are  a  continuation  of 
the  cells  of  the  skin  itself,  carrying  with  them  the 
same  pigment  that  gives  the  skin  its  color.  So 
we  find  that  dark  people  have  dark  hair,  and  fair 
people  have  yellow  or  red  hair.  When  no  color- 
ing matter  is  furnished,  the  hair  becomes  gray  or 
even  white.  Into  each  hair  pocket  or  follicle  a 
little  oil  gland  opens,  so,  you  see,  each  separate 
hair  has  its  own  bottle  of  hair  oil.  If  we  keep  the 
head  clean  and  brush  the  hair  well,  we  shall  have 
no  need  of  putting  oil  on  it  to  keep  it  smooth. 

Each  hair  has  a  muscle ;  it  has  also  a  nerve, 
and  that  is  why  it  hurts  when  the  hair  is  pulled. 
Cold  air,  or  water,  or  a  sudden  fright  will  make 
these  muscles  contract,  and  this  is  what  makes  the 

53 


54 


OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 


hair  stand  on  end,  as  we  say.  That  is  illustrated 
when  a  cat  sees  a  dog  and  bristles  up  all  over. 
One  of  Job's  friends  says  that  he  was  frightened 
and  his  hair  stood  up.  Read  Job,  4th  chapter, 
15th  verse. 

Hair  is  very  elastic,  and  will  stretch  a  good  deal 
before  breaking.  It  is  also  very  strong.  A  single 
hair  has  held  a  weight  of  two  and  a  half  ounces. 
Hair  is  found  all  over  the  body  except  on  the 
palms  of  the  hands  and  the  soles  of  the  feet. 


HAIR,  HAIR  FOLLICLES  AND  GLANDS. 

A,   epidermis;   B,   true  skin;   C,   hair  bulbs;  D,   glands;  E,  muscle  attached 

to  hair  sac. 

The  cells  of  the  skin  become  hardened  and  form 
the  nails,  which  protect  the  fingers  and  toes.  If  it 
were  not  for  the  finger-nails,  we  would  find  it  diffi- 
cult to  untie  knots,  open  pocket  knives,  and  do 
many  things  we  now  do  with  ease.  When  we  care 
for  them,  they  also  add  to  the  beauty  of  the  hand ; 
but  if  not  trimmed  neatly  and  kept  clean,  they  are 
indicative  of  a  lack  of  careful  training. 


THE    THATCH. 


55 


A  young  girl  was  once  putting  on  airs  and 
attempting  to  pass  herself  off  for  a  person  of  great 
importance,  but  another  girl,  who  had  been  well 
brought  up  and  trained  to  exquisite  care  of  her- 
self, recognized  the  lack  of  this,  and  exclaimed, 
"  She's  not  a  lady,  look  at  her  finger-nails  !" 


WELL-KEPT  NAILS. 


NEGLECTED  NAILS. 


HEAD   OF   APOLLO    UELVIDKRE. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  UPPER   STORY,   OR   CUPOLA. 

ON  a  short  tower,  called  the  neck,  is  found  the 
most  wonderful  part  of  the  house,  the  cupola, 
or  head.  It  has  a  solid,  dome-like,  bony  frame- 
work, covered  with  muscular  walls,  protected  by 
the  skin,  and  roofed  with  the  hairy  thatch.  In  its 
facade  we  have  two  windows  —  only  two  for  the 
whole  house,  and  yet  they  command  a  view  in  all 
directions  because  the  cupola  is  so  balanced  that 
56 


THE    UPPER   STORY,    OR    CUPOLA.  57 

it  can  turn  from  side  to  side,  or  up,  or  down,  and 
if  we  have  need  to  look  behind  us,  we  have  only 
to  turn  the  whole  house  around.  I  once  read  of 
a  man  who  built  his  house  on  the  abandoned  turn- 
table of  a  railroad,  and  when  he  wanted  the  sun  to 
shine  in  any  apartment,  he  had  only  to  turn  the 
house  around.  He  thought  that  was  a  very  fine 
contrivance,  but,  you  see,  that  is  what  we  all  can 
do  with  our  wonderful  house,  and  we  do  it  so  often 
that  we  think  nothing  of  it. 

Over  the  window  is  a  little  thatch  of  hair  to  keep 
the  rain  of  perspiration  from  running  down  into 
the  eyes.  Between  the  windows  is  a  portico  with 
two  circular  doorways,  through  which  the  good 
fairy  Aura  goes  in  and  out.  Below  these  is  a  pair 
of  pink  folding  doors  about  which  I  shall  have 
more  to  tell  you.  On  the  sides  of  the  cupola  are 
porticos  for  the  admission  of  sound.  How  seldom 
we  think  of  the  fact  that  Man  knows  nothing  of  the 
world  except  through  the  medium  of  his  bodily 
house.  If  his  windows  are  broken,  he  sees  no 
more ;  if  his  porticos  of  sound  are  stopped  up, 
he  can  hear  nothing;  and  yet,  knowing  this,  he 
sometimes  takes  very  little  pains  to  keep  his  house 
in  order.  He  will  read  by  twilight,  or  on  the  cars, 
or  strain  his  eyes  needlessly  just  as  if  he  were 
certain  that  he  could  go  out  and  buy  a  new  pair 
when  these  were  gone.     What  we  want  to  do  is  to 


58 


OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 


learn  about  our  bodily  dwelling,  so  that  we  may- 
know  how  to  keep  it  in  repair ;  therefore  we  will 

go  on  to  study  our  upper 
story,  the  general  office  of  the 
establishment. 

The  contents  of  this  upper 
story  are  so  important  and 
valuable  that  they  must  be 
well  protected,  and  so  the 
frame-work  is  very  strong 
and  solid,  made  of  twenty- 
two  bones,  dovetailed  to- 
gether in  a  spherical  form, 
as  that  is  the  strongest  pos- 
sible shape.  Eight  of  these 
bones,  each  made  of  three 
layers,  form  what  is  called 
the  cranium,  or  brain  case. 
The  outside  layer  is  thick, 
tough,  and  somewhat  elastic, 
so  that  quite  hard  blows  do 
not  break  it.  The  inner  layer 
is  thin,  hard,  and  brittle,  so  it 
is  called  the  vitreous,  or 
glassy  table  of  the  skull. 
This  might  break  easily,  but 
between  it  and  the  outer  layer 
piAGRAM  OF  SPINE.  is    a  spongy    tissue  of   bone 


59 


60  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING, 

which  deadens  blows.  See  how  wonderfully  all  this 
is  arranged  to  protect  the  brain.  First,  the  arched 
or  spherical  shape  made  of  several  pieces,  and  then 
the  three  layers  of  bone  with  their  elastic  and 
spongy  construction,  and  these  mounted  on  the 
springy,  flexible  spinal  column,  all  tending,  as  you 
see,  to  save  the  brain  from  jars,  and  make  it  safe 
for  us  to  jump  and  climb  and  even  receive  falls  and 
blows  without  serious  injury. 

We  adorn  the  inner  walls  of  our  residences  with 
beautiful  paper,  or  paint  them  various  tints.  The 
inner  walls  of  the  cupola  is  covered  with  three  mem- 
branes ;  the  one  lying  close  to  the  inside  of  the  skull 
is  dense  and  fibrous,  and  is  called  the  dura  mater, 
the  hard  or  durable  mother.  Inside  of  this  is  a  very 
fine  membrane  called  the  arachnoid.  There  is  a 
fable  which  tells  of  the  Princess  Arachne  who  was 
famed  for  spinning  and  was  changed  by  Minerva 
into  a  spider.  This  membrane  is  called  the  arach- 
noid because  it  is  like  the  cobweb  for  delicacy. 
The  inner  membrane  is  also  fine  and  delicate  and 
full  of  blood  vessels.  It  is  called  the  pia  mater ,  or 
soft  mother.  And  what  shall  we  find  in  this  room 
so  carefully  prepared?  Something  wonderful  and 
very  precious  no  doubt. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

THE  GENERAL  OFFICE. 

THE  apartment  whose  walls  were  described  in 
the  last  chapter  is  called  the  cavity  of  the 
skull,  and  is  occupied  by  a  wonderful  workshop 
known  as  the  brain. 

Michelet,  a  French  writer,  calls  it  the  **  flower 
of  flowers."  That  is  very  pretty,  but,  after  all, 
does  not  give  us  much  idea  how  it  appears.  If 
you  could  see  the  brain  of  a  calf,  it  would  give 
you  a  very  good  idea  of  the  brain  of  man.  The 
meat  of  an  English  walnut,  in  its  folds  and  wrinkles, 
is  something  like  the  brain  in  shape  but  not  in 
size.  A  large  piece  of  paper  can  be  crumpled 
into  a  small  space ;  and  if  the  wrinkles  of  the 
brain-substance  were  spread  out  like  a  plain  piece 
of  paper,  we  should  see  that  these  folds  have  really 
given  it  a  very  large  surface.  The  average  weight 
of  the  human  brain  is  from  45  to  55  ounces.  The 
brain  of  man  is  absolutely  larger  than  the  brain  of 
any  animal  except  that  of  the  whale  and  the 
elephant. 

The  brain  is  composed  of  two  kinds  of  matter; 

61 


62  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

one  white,  which  forms  the  greater  part  of  the 
interior,  and  the  other  gray,  which  spreads  over 
the  surface  and  dips  down  into  all  the  folds,  or 
convolutions,  as  they  are  called.  The  depth  of  the 
convolutions  seems  to  measure  the  intelligence  of 
the  individual.  In  a  baby's  brain  the  convolutions 
are  very  shallow,  but  as   he  becomes   more  and 


VIEW  OF   UPPER    SURFACE    OF  THE    BRAIN. 

more  intelligent,  they  grow  deeper,  so  you  see 
that  skulls  of  the  same  size  may  both  be  full  of 
brains,  and  yet  one  contain  a  great  deal  more 
brain  than  the  other,  because  it  is  more  deeply 
wrinkled  or  convoluted.  You  must  not  be  dis- 
couraged by  the  big  words  we  have  to  use  in  the 


THE    GENERAL    OFFICE.  63 

study  of  the  brain,  or  get  tired  and  say  you  don't 
care  to  learn  about  it,  because  it  is  so  uninterest- 
ing. Many  things  which,  in  the  beginning  may 
seem  very  dry,  become  very  interesting  to  us  after 
we  have  learned  about  them ;  and  perhaps  in  the 
study  of  the  brain  we  shall  put  added  wrinkles 
into  our  own  brain-substance  and  be  so  much  the 
brighter. 

The  brain  is  divided  into  the  cerebrum^  or  great 
brain,  and  the  cerebellum,  or  little  brain,  and  the 
Medulla  oblongata,  or  hind  brain,  and  each  has 
its  special  work  to  do.  We  shall  find  very  much 
to  interest  us  in  the  different  kinds  of  work  that 
are  done  in  the  different  parts  of  the  brain.  The 
great  brain  occupies  the  upper  and  front  part  of 
the  cavity  of  the  skull,  and  the  small  brain,  the 
lower  and  back  part.  The  two  brains  are  con- 
nected by  a  bridge  called  the  Pons  Varolii  because 
a  man  named  Varolius  first  described  it.  Did 
you  ever  imagine  that  you  had  a  bridge  in  your 
head? 

Brain  looks  not  unlike  a  mass  of  dough  in  color, 
but  is  more  like  jelly  in  consistency.  It  is  made 
of  millions  of  little  cells  about  which  we  shall  learn 
when  we  study  the  servants  of  our  wonderful  house. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  RECEPTION  ROOM  AND  HALL. 

BETWEEN  the  windows  of  our  house  is  a 
porch  with  a  sloping  roof  that  covers  two 
circular  doorways.  Below  this  is  a  pair  of  pink 
folding  doors  that  open  into  the  reception  room. 
These  doors  are  beautiful  and  have  marvelous 
capabilities.  They  are  closed  by  a  muscle  called 
a  sphincter,  which  acts  much  like  the  puckering 
strings  of  our  shopping  bags.  When  drawn  up 
tight,  the  doors  are  pulled  into  folds,  and  in  this 
shape  can  make  very  pretty  music  called  whistling. 
When  stretched,  they  produce  what  is  known  as  a 
smile ;  or  if  the  stretching  is  extreme,  and  we  hear 
a  loud  *'Ha!  ha!  "  issuing  from  the  doorway,  we 
say  that  the  man  is  laughing.  That  is  the  way 
Man  has  of  letting  it  be  known  that  he  is  greatly 
pleased.  These  doors  also  help  him  to  make 
known  his  wishes,  thoughts,  and  feelings,  by  means 
of  spoken  words,  and  these  may  be  very  pleasant 
or  quite  the  contrary.  Wc  might  almost  call 
these  doors  curtains,  for  they  are  of  soft  muscle 

and  have  a  bright  pink  lining  of  mucous  membrane. 
64 


THE  RECEPTION  ROOM  AXD   HALL.  65 

In  some  individuals,  an  ornamental  lambrequin  of 
hair  is  fastened  above  these  doors.  It  is  not  only 
an  ornament  but  acts  as  a  guard  to  the  circular 
doorways  above. 

We  may  as  well  learn  right  here  that  all  the 
apartments  of  our  bodily  dwelling  communicating 
with  the  outer  world  are  lined  with  mucous 
membrane,  which  in  its  structure  is  not  unlike  the 
skin,  and  is  united  with  it  at  the  openings  into 
these  rooms.  At  the  edges  of  the  lips  we  can  see 
where  this  union  takes  place.  The  purpose  of 
this  membrane  is  to  secrete  a  fluid  which  moistens 
the  surface. 

When  the  hands  bring  to  the  mouth  any  guests 
who  desire  to  enter  the  house,  the  lips  open  to 
take  them  in,  and,  passing  their  folds,  the  guests 
are  received  by  thirty-two  attendants  in  a  white 
uniform  whose  business  it  is  to  remove  the  wraps 
of  visitors  and  make  them  fine  enough  to  go  on 
and  visit  the  cook ;  for  all  who  enter  here  are  on 
their  way  to  the  kitchen.  I  said  there  were  thirty- 
two  attendants  in  white.  There  are  not  always 
thirty-two,  and  they  are  not  always  in  white. 
Sometimes  their  uniforms  have  been  sadly  soiled 
and  torn,  and  have  been  patched  and  the  patching 
trimmed  with  gold,  which  does  not  add  to  their 
beauty,  however. 

In  little   new  houses  these   attendants  are  alto- 


66  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

gether  invisible,  but  they  are  only  asleep  in  their 
little  pink  cradles  in  the  frame  of  the  doorways 
called  the  jaws.  There  are  only  twenty  of  these, 
however,  and  for  some  months  they  lie  still  and 
sleep.  Then  they  begin  to  be  anxious  to  see  the 
world  and  push  their  heads  up  so  hard  that  they 
often  make  the  baby  cry.  But  they  don't  seem 
to  care  for  that,  for  they  push  away  until  one  by 
one  their  little  white  crowns  appear.  Did  I  not 
tell  you  that  they  were  royal  attendants  ?  Oh  yes, 
they  are,  for  each  one  wears  a  crown.  For  six  or 
seven  years  these  little  servants  stay,  and  then  are 
crowded  out  by  others  who  have  lain  in  their  cradles 
all  this  while,  only  waiting  for  the  time  to  come 
for  them  to  crowd  their  older  brothers  entirely 
out  of  the  way  and  take  their  places,  and  now 
there  are  thirty-two  of  them,  sixteen  in  each  jaw. 
In  the  center  of  each  jaw  are  four  sharp  fellows 
called  incisors,  who  investigate  every  visitor  in  a 
biting  way,  and  pass  him  on  to  the  rest,  and  they 
press  him  on  all  sides  until,  when  they  are  through 
with  him,  he  feels  pretty  well  crushed.  One  long 
sharp  fellow  on  each  side  of  the  incisors  is  known 
as  a  cuspid.  Next  to  each  cuspid  stand  two  who 
are  called  bi-cuspids  because  they  wear  two  cusps 
or  crowns,  and  back  of  these  stand  three  molars 
or  grinders.  You  are  acquainted  with  all  these 
attendants  as  the  teeth. 


THE    RECEPTION  ROOM  AND  HALL. 


67 


Sometimes  visitors  on  their  way  to  the  kitchen 
are  so  soft  that  they  sHp  through  without  much 
attention  from  the  molars,  but  they  are  really  not 
as  well  received  by  the  cook  as  if  they  had  been 
willing  to  be  more  thoroughly  investigated.  Then, 
too,  it  is  no  kindness  to  be  sparing  of  the  work  of 


ADULT  TEETH. 


I,  2.  The  Cutting  Teeth  (incisors).  3,  Canine.  4,  5,  Small  Grinders  (biscuspids) 
6,  7,  8,  Grinders  (molars). 

the  molars,  for  they  keep  stronger  and  last  longer 
if  they  have  plenty  of  hard  work  to  do.  That  is 
one  peculiarity  of  our  house.  All  of  its  workers 
keep  in  better  health  if  they  have  plenty  of  the 
right  kind  of  work  to  do. 

I  might  suggest  to  you  that  these  thirty-two 
servants,  the  teeth,  need  frequent  bathing  and 
scrubbing  with  a  soft  brush,  if  you  want  them  to 
keep   in   good   health.     When   they   are   through 


68  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

with  their  work,  they  should  have  all  dirt  carefully 
removed,  not  only  from  the  surface  but  from 
between  them.  They  are  such  sturdy  soldiers 
that  they  never  break  ranks,  so  you  will  have  to 
clean  them  as  they  stand  solidly  and  closely 
together ;  and  I  would  warn  you  to  use  them  well 
and  not  to  bite  thread,  crack  nuts,  or  pull  needles 
or  nails  with  them  (I  have  known  people  to  do 
that),  for  this  may  injure  their  constitutions  so 
that  they  break  down  altogether,  and  then  you 
will  be  in  a  sad  plight,  indeed. 

These  attendants  do  not  do  their  full  work  until 
visitors  have  been  judged  by  a  guard  in  a  pink 
sentry  box,  who  occupies  a  constant  position  in 
the  reception  room  for  the  purpose  of  passing  his 
opinion  on  guests.  This  sentry  box  is  chained  to 
the  floor  so  that  the  guard  never  can  go  away  from 
home.  The  name  of  this  guard  is  Gustatory 
Sense,  or  Taste,  as  he  is  sometimes  called  for 
short.  If  those  who  enter  here  are  pleasing  to 
him,  he  allows  them  to  receive  the  attention  of  the 
teeth ;  if  not,  he  rejects  them  at  once.  However, 
he  is  not  to  be  fully  relied  upon,  for  he  sometimes 
becomes  very  fond  of  those  who  are  injurious  to 
the  best  interests  of  the  house,  and  allows  their 
entrance  when  he  ought  to  put  them  out  immedi- 
ately. In  this  case  he  consults  his  own  whims  and 
fancies  rather  than  the  welfare  of  the  house  and  its 
master. 


THE  RECEPTION  ROOM  AND  HALL.  69 

Certain  persons  have  the  power  of  making  every 
one  feel  at  ease,  and  we  find  some  such  affable 
attendants  in  the  reception  room  of  our  house. 
There  are  three  closets  called  glancls  on  each  side 
of  the  reception  room,  making  six  in  all,  and  from 
these  issues  Saliva,  whose  especial  business  it  is  to 
help  guests  along.  Some  folks,  you  know,  are  so 
stiff  in  their  manners  that  we  say  they  are  '*  starched 
up,"  and  Saliva  pays  especial  attention  to  such, 
accompanying  them  all  the  way  to  the  kitchen,  and 


THE  PAROTID  —  ONE  OF  THE  SALIVARY  GLANDS. 

making  them  very  sweet  by  changing  their  starch 
into  sugar. 

The  roof  of  the  reception  room  is  arched  or 
vaulted,  and  is  called  the  hard  palate.  At  the 
back  of  this  room,  which  you  know  as  the  mouth, 
are  two  fleshy  pillars,  and  between  these  is  hung  a 


70  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

pink  portiere,  or  curtain,  composed  of  the  uvula 
and  soft  palate.  This  curtain  answers  a  double 
purpose ;  it  divides  the  reception  room  from  the 
hall,  and  it  is  also  drawn  up  and  back  to  close  the 
passage  into  the  nose  when  solids  or  liquids  are 
passing  down  the  throat. 

We  shall  now  talk  of  the  throat  as  the  hall  of 
our  wonderful  house.  It  is  a  peculiar  hall  in  that 
it  has  no  floor.  Seven  passages  lead  out  of  it; 
one  into  the  mouth,  two  up  into  the  nose,  two  into 
the  ears,  one  to  the  lungs,  and  one  to  the  stomach. 
We  shall  study  each  of  these  by  and  by.  Now  we 
will  go  with  the  guests  across  the  hall,  or  pharynx, 
to  the  kitchen  stairs,  or  esophagus,  as  it  is  called. 
These  are  peculiar  stairs,  about  nine  inches  long, 
not  quite  straight,  and  with  muscular  walls  which 
contract  behind  the  descending  substance  and  push 
it  along.  If  it  is  a  very  small  substance,  these 
muscles  have  very  hard  work  to  squeeze  it  down, 
and  that  is  why  we  may  find  it  so  dif^cult  to  swal- 
low a  small  pill  when  we  can  easily  swallow  a 
mouthful  of  food. 


CHAPTER   X. 

THE  KITCHEN. 

AT  the  bottom  of  the  stairs  we  find  ourselves  at 
the  top  of  the  kitchen,  and  must  jump  down 
the  rest  of  the  way.  This  kitchen  is  a  wonderful 
room,  and  when  full  is  about  one  foot  long  and 
four  inches  broad.  If  you  have  ever  studied  in 
the  kindergarten,  I  suppose  you  would  call  it 
irregularly  conical  in  shape.  This  room,  which  is 
named  stomach,  has  a  strong  wall  of  three  coats, 
the  outer  one  of  fibrous  tissue,  called  the  serous 
coat,  the  inner,  a  mucous  membrane,  and  between 
these  a  muscular  coat  whose  fibers  run  in  three 
directions  —  one  set  lengthwise,  one  around,  and 
one  obliquely.  When  these  three  sets  of  muscles 
contract,  you  can  understand  how  they  draw  the 
stomach  into  a  smaller  compass  and  so  churn  the 
contents  about.  Here  in  this  active,  moving 
kitchen  we  find  the  cook,  Gastric  Juice,  at  work, 
cutting  up  the  meat,  peeling  the  vegetables,  and 
breaking  them  into  small  pieces.  He  pays  no 
attention  to  starch,  but  the  saliva  that  accom- 
panied starch  into  the  stomach  still  acts  upon  it. 

71 


72  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

Oil  is  churned  by  the  motion  of  the  stomach,  and 
so  all  the  contents  are  thoroughly  mingled. 

In  the  walls  of  the  kitchen  are  little  depressions 
which  we  may  call  cupboards,  where  Gastric  Juice 
finds  the  substances  he  needs  in  his  work.  As  the 
material  for  the  nourishment  and  repair  of  the 
house  is  prepared  in  this  room,  it  is  quite  import- 
ant that  we  should  understand  its  laws,  for  every 


THE    STOMACH. 


part  of  our  house  is  governed  by  laws  which  were 
laid  down  by  the  divine  Architect  himself.  One 
of  these  laws  is  that  food  to  be  digested  must  be 
at  blood  heat.  It  is  therefore  injurious  to  drink 
large  quantities  of  very  cold  water  while  we  are 
eating;  for,  as  we  can  easily  see,  it  puts  out  the 
kitchen  fire,  and  so  hinders  the  cook  in  his  work. 


THE  KITCHEN.  73 


Ice  water,  too,  by  suddenly  checking  perspiration 
and  chilling  the  body  when  heated,  has  caused 
death. 

We  can  interfere  with  the  work  of  the  stomach  by 
eating  too  much,  for  when  the  walls  are  greatly  dis- 
tended they  cannot  easily  contract,  and  so  stomach 
digestion  is  hindered.  From  three  to  five  hours  are 
needed  to  complete  the  work  of  the  stomach,  and 
to  eat  between  meals  gives  the  cook  extra  labor, 
and  then,  perhaps,  he  does  nothing  well.  You 
can  imagine  how  cross  you  would  be  if  you  had  a 
cake  half  baked,  and  some  one  should  open  the 
oven  door  and  stir  into  it  a  quantity  of  raw 
material,  even  if  it  were  the  same  as  that  of  which 
the  cake  was  made,  and  more  angry  still  if  it  were 
raw  apples  or  nuts  or  candy.  You  ought,  there- 
fore, to  be  as  thoughtful  of  your  bodily  cook  as 
you  would  like  others  to  be  if  you  were  cooking. 

The  exit  from  the  kitchen  is  through  an  opening 
called  the  pylorus,  which  only  allows  food  to  pass 
out  when  thoroughly  churned  and  mixed  with  the 
active  substances  of  the  Gastric  Juice.  This  gate 
sometimes  refuses  to  let  things  pass  at  all,  in  which 
case  they  may  be  sent  hurriedly  back  up  the  stairs, 
through  the  hall  and  reception  room,  and  cast  out 
of  the  front  door.  This  we  call  vomiting.  It 
occurs  when  poisonous  or  hurtful  materials  are 
swallowed,  or  when  the  work  of  the  cook  has  been 


74 


OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 


for  some  time  greatly  interfered  with  by  overeating, 
or  by  eating  unwholesome  food. 


^.Duodenum;  5,  Stomach;   C,  Pylorus. 

Chemistry  takes  food  to  pieces  and  tells  us  that 
it  is  made  of  carbon,  hydrogen,  nitrogen,  and 
oxygen.  Man's  body  is  made  of  the  same  ele- 
ments, but  we  cannot  live  on  them  in  that  form; 
we  must  have  them  made  up  into  various  combina- 
tions. Plants  can  take  them  in  the  raw  state  and 
make  them  over  into  themselves,  then  we  get  them 
from  the  plants ;  or  other  animals  eat  the  plants 
and  then  we  eat  the  animals.  Some  substances 
contain  all  these  elements  and  are  called  proteids 
or,  sometimes,  albuminoids,  because  they  are  like 
albumen,  or  white  of  ^%'g.  Another  substance 
containing  all  the  elements  is  called  gluten,  and  is 
found  in  grains.  Still  another  is  called  legumin, 
found  in  peas  and  beans.  Casein  is  found  in  milk, 
and  myosin,  in  muscle. 


THE  KITCHEN.  75 


To  obtain  the  right  amount  needed  to  keep  the 
body  in  repair,  we  do  not  try  to  find  some  one 
substance  containing  all  the  elements,  but  we  eat 
a  variety  of  foods,  such  as  bread,  meat,  eggs,  milk, 
grains,  and  fruits,  so  that  the  servants  and  general 
manager  can  select  from  the  whole  mass  the 
things  that  are  needed.  We  should  not  try  to  live 
wholly  on  starch  and  sweets  which  alone  will  not 
keep  us  alive. 

All  the  foods  we  eat  may  be  divided  into 
nitrogenous,  oleaginous  or  fatty,  saccharine  or  that 
containing  sugar,  and  amylaceous  or  starchy. 
We  have  seen  that  saliva  digests  starch,  and  that 
gastric  juice  acts  on  all  nitrogenous  substances ; 
but  as  yet  we  have  found  nothing  that  acts  on  fats. 
These  oily  guests  come  into  our  house  and  slip 
down  into  the  kitchen  where  no  notice  is  taken  of 
them  except  to  make  them  step  around  rather 
lively,  until  they  come  to  have  a  much  smaller 
opinion  of  themselves  than  when  they  entered,  and 
then  they  are  allowed,  with  all  the  rest  to  pass 
through  the  pylorus  into  the  next  apartment. 
.  Water  is  also  a  very  important  food,  both  be- 
cause the  body  is  about  three-fourths  water,  and 
because  water  is  being  cast  off  constantly  through 
the  drainage  tubes  and  must  be  replaced  As 
fruits  are  largely  composed  of  water,  they  are 
valuable  both  as  food  and  drink. 


CHAPTER   XL 

THE   butler's    pantry. 

I  ^HE  next  room  is  sometimes  called  the  second 
^  kitchen,  but  it  has  also  a  Latin  name, 
diiodejiiini^  because  it  is  as  long  as  twelve  fingers 
are  broad.  It  is  very  narrow  and  curved  like  a 
horseshoe,  and  its  walls,  like  those  of  the  stomach, 
are  serous,  muscular,  and  mucous.  The  food  that 
has  been  broken  up  in  the  kitchen  passes  into  the 
butler's  pantry  ready  to  be  further  prepared  for  use, 
and  here  come  two  important  assistants  to  help  do 
the  work.  They  are  called  Pancreatic  Juice  and 
Bile.  Pancreatic  Juice  is  said  to  be  the  most 
important  helper  in  the  preparation  of  foods  for 
use  in  the  house,  though,  like  many  other  import- 
ant people,  he  is  seldom  mentioned,  and  many 
have  never  heard  of  him.  He  is  of  a  kindly 
nature  and  does  not  ask  whether  those  who  need 
his  aid  are  rich  or  poor,  but  gives  attention  to  all. 
He  completes  the  work  which  Saliva  began  on 
the  starch,  and  finishes  on  the  nitrogenous  mate- 
rials, sometimes  called  albuminoids,  what  Gastric 
Juice  has  left  undone.  He  also  acts  on  the  oily 
76 


THE  BUTLER'S  PANTRY. 


77 


substances, —  splits  them  up,  as  it  is  said.  Pan- 
creatic Juice  has  his  home  in  a  room  called  the 
pancreas.     In  animals  it  is  called  the  sweet-bread. 


PANCREAS   AND   SPLEEN. 

The  stomach  is  represented  as  turned  up,  S  being  on  its  under  surface, 
/'indicates  the  junction  of  the  stomach  and  duodenum  </ at  the  pylorus.  C  is 
placed  at  the  junction  of  stomach  and  gullet.  L  is  on  the  right  portion  of  the 
liver,  which  is  also  turned  up  to  show  g,  the  gall  bladder,  yis  placed  to  the 
side  of  the  common  bile-duct  formed  by  ducts  from  the  liver  and  gall  bladder. 
^-/ is  the  pancreas,  revealed  by  the  turning  up  of  the  stomach  5"/,  spleen. 
V,  the  part  where  blood-vessels  are  connected  to  the  spleen,  a  and  w,  blood- 
vessels. 

Bile  comes  from  the  liver,  and  after  leaving  his 
own  especial  room,  the  gall-bladder,  he  passes 
down  a  hall,  known  as  the  common  bile-duct,  into 
the  butler's  pantry,  where  he  joins  in  the  work  of 
preparing  the  food  for  use.  It  used  to  be  thought 
that  Bile  was  aristocratic,  and  that  he  only  paid 
attention  to  those  who  had  '•  struck  oil,"  in  other 
words,  the  fats,  but  we  find  now  that  he  conde- 
scends  to   do   other  work.     Indeed,  we   are   told 


78  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

that  he  does  not  attend  to  fats  perfectly  without 
the  aid  of  Pancreatic  Juice.  One  of  the  ofifices  of 
Bile  is  to  prevent  things  from  getting  into  that 
disturbed  state  known  as  putrefactive  fermenta- 
tion ;  that  is,  to  keep  them  sweet  and  good.  He 
also  assists  greatly  in  the  taking  up  of  the  nutri- 
tious material  by  the  little  eaters  of  the  dining- 
room,  known  as  absorbents,  and  he  is  also  willing 
to  help  do  the  work  of  sweeping  out  the  dining- 
room.  So  I  think  that  we  ought  not  to  say  that 
Bile  is  aristocratic,  but  should  give  him  credit  for 
all  he  does  so  willingly. 

The  walls  of  the  Butler's  Pantry  are  fitted  up 
with  shelves  made  of  folds  of  the  mucous  mem- 
brane, and  this,  you  see,  increases  the  surface. 
There  are  also  many  little  cupboards,  called 
glands,  which  secrete  a  fluid  to  be  used  in  the 
work  of  digestion. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE   DINING-ROOM. 

OPENING  out  of  the  butler's  pantry  is  the  din- 
ing-room, a  long,  narrow  apartment  about 
an  inch  across  but  more  than  twenty  feet  in  length, 
It  has  the  same  three  muscular  coats  as  the 
kitchen  and  butler's  pantry.  The  first  eight  feet  re- 
ceives the  name  of  the  jejunum,  a  Latin  word 
meaning  empty,  because  it  is  usually  found  empty 
after  death.  The  remainder  is  called  the  iliujn, 
meaning  twisted. 

This  long,  narrow  dining-room  occupies  the 
greater  part  of  the  second  story  of  the  house  — 
the  abdominal  cavity  ;  and,  as  this  is  comparatively 
a  small  place,  the  intestines  must  be  folded  and 
coiled  to  fit  into  it.  They  are  not  just  twisted  up 
and  laid  loosely  in  the  abdominal  cavity,  but  are 
held  in  place  by  a  membrane  called  the  mesentery. 
This  membrane  is  as  long  as  the  intestines,  but 
only  about  four  inches  broad.  The  intestines  lie 
along  one  edge  like  the  trimming  on  a  rufflie,  and 
the  other  edge  is  gathered,  like  a  ruffle,  into  a 
length  of  six  inches,  and  this  fastened  to  the  spine. 


9 


80  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

thus  holding  the  intestines  in  place  and  yet  leav- 
ing them  somewhat  free.  The  internal  lining  of 
intestines  is  in  folds,  making  the  same  shelves  as 
are  found  in  the  pantry,  and  for  the  same  pur- 
pose of   increasing   the   surface.     Here,   also,  are 


Ay  Stomach.      B,  Small  Intestines. 

glands  secreting  the  fluids  needed  to  complete  the 
work  of  digestion.  The  head  waiter  is  Pancreatic 
Juice  but  he  has  a  valuable  assistant  named  Intes- 
tinal Juice  and  they  together  complete  all  processes 
of  digestion  and  the  preparation  of  food  for  absorp- 
tion. 


THE  DINING-ROOM. 


81 


And  who  is  to  eat  the  dinner  so  elaborately  pre- 
pared? Oh,  the  dining-room  is  always  full  of 
hungry  little  mouths  ready  to  take  in  the  food. 
They  are  never  away  riding  a  **  safety  "  or  playing 
lawn  tennis ;  they  never  wait  for  the  dinner  bell  to 
ring  and  then  go  scampering  in  with  hair  awry; 
they  are  always  right  there  attending  strictly  to  the 
business  of  eating.  And  such  quiet,  polite  little 
eaters  as  they  are.  They  never  crowd  each  other 
nor  scramble  for  the  food,  nor  refuse  to  eat  good 
bread  and  butter  because  they  want 
cake.  They  are  so  small  that  as 
many  as  sixty  of  them  are  found  in 
the  one-hundredth  part  of  a  square 
inch. 

When   we  were  on  shipboard,  we 
found  our  chairs  were  fastened  to  the 
VILLI.  floor,  but  in  the  dining-room  of  our 

bodily  dwelling  the  little  eaters  themselves  are 
fastened  and  cannot  run  away,  so  you  may  think 
it  is  no  particular  credit  to  them  that  they  are 
always  found  at  home. 

Under  the  microscope  they  look  like  little  fine 
hairs,  and  give  the  walls  a  velvety  appearance. 
They,  too,  have  a  Latin  name  ;  one  is  called  a  vil- 
lus, and  all  are  called  villi,  just  as  we  say  "■  Mr. 
Jones"  when  we  speak  of  one,  and  the  "Joneses" 
when  we  mean  the  whole    family.      How  do  you 


82  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

suppose  the  Joneses  would  teel  if,  when  they  came 
to  breakfast,  they  should  find  the  meat  and  potato, 
and  bread  and  milk,  and  fruits  and  coffee  had  all 
been  pounded  and  ground  and  mixed  together  in 
one  thin  gruel-like  mass  (I  am  afraid  they  would 
say  mess)  and  they  could  not  say  whether  they 
would  take  eggs  or  oatmeal,  or  buckwheat  cakes, 
or  biscuit,  but  were  just  obliged  to  take  the  gruel 
and  be  satisfied?  That  is  the  way  with  the  villi. 
They  have  no  choice  in  the  matter ;  they  are 
obliged  to  obey  St.  Paul  and  *'  eat  what  is  set  before 
them,  asking  no  questions." 

Everything  that  has  passed  through  the  kitchen 
and  store-room  is  mixed  into  a  thin,  milky  gruel 
called  chyle,  and  the  villi  work  away  sucking  it  in 
for  dear  life ;  yes,  for  our  dear  life,  for  they  are 
eating  that  we  may  live.  They  are  simply  taking 
up  this  chyle  to  pass  it  on,  that  it  may  go  to  build 
us  up. 

We  know  that  the  food  we  eat  is  made  over  into 
our  bones  and  flesh  and  nerves ;  but  how  does  it 
get  into  the  blood  so  that  it  can  be  carried  to  the 
various  parts  of  the  body?  The  sugar  that  is  di- 
gested in  the  stomach  goes  directly  into  the  blood 
with  the  water,  both  being  absorbed  by  the  walls 
of  the  stomach.  In  the  intestines,  the  villi  suck  up 
the  milky  chyle  and  gather  it  into  vessels  called 
lacteals  from  the  Latin  word  lac^  meaning  milk. 


THE  DINING-ROOM. 


83 


These  lacteals  are  held  in  the  folds  of  the  mesen- 
tery, and  are  connected  by  fine  canals  with  other 
vessels  called  lymphatic  glands,  which  vary  in  size 
from  that  of  a  pea  to  a  small  almond.  There  is 
said  to  be  about  one  hundred    and  fifty  of  them. 


A 


A,  Lymph  tube-     B,  Duct.     C,  Spine. 


They  are  spongy  in  structure,  and  when  the 
lacteals  pour  their  fluid  contents  into  these  lym- 
phatic glands,  you  can  understand  how  they  take 
up  the  fluid  as  a  sponge  takes  up  water.  After 
soaking  through  the  glands  and  undergoing  some 


84  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

changes,  this  fluid  passes  out  through  the  canals 
into  other  lacteals,  until  it  reaches  a  reservoir 
called  the  receptaciilicin  chyli,  or  receptacle  of  chyle. 
One  change  that  comes  to  the  chyle  while  passing 
through  the  lymphatic  glands  is  the  power  to  co- 
agulate, or  form  a  clot.  It  also  contains  numerous 
white  cells  that  it  did  not  have  before. 

The  receptacle  for  the  chyle  is  at  the  lower  end 
of  a  canal  called  the  thoracic  duct,  which  leads  up 
through  the  floor  of  the  thorax,  to  the  large  vein 
at  the  left  of  the  base  of  the  round  tower  of  the 
neck,  called  the  jugular  vein.  You  see,  therefore, 
that  this  system  of  lacteals,  glands,  and  ducts  is  a 
part  of  the  plumbing  of  the  house,  but  it  could 
not  be  described  until  we  came  to  talk  of  the 
different  rooms  and  their  contents. 

All  through  the  various  parts  of  the  body,  not 
only  in  the  tissues  of  the  vital  organs,  as  the 
contents  of  the  different  cavities  are  called,  but 
also  in  the  appendages  of  the  arms  and  legs,  are 
vessels  called  lymphatics,  and  they  are  connected 
with  the  lymphatic  glands,  which  are  just  like  the 
lacteals  and  glands  of  the  mesentery,  and  are 
therefore  included  in  the  plumbing.  They  carry  a 
fluid  called  lymph. 

And  how  is  lymph  made,  and  what  is  its  use? 
This  I  will  tell  you  in  the  chapter  about  the  gen- 
eral manager. 


THE   DINING-ROOM.  85 

We  must  not  close  this  chapter  without  speak- 
ing of  the  colon,  or  large  intestine,  which  may  be 
called  the  scavenger  box  of  our  bodily  dwelling, 
receiving,  as  it  does,  the  waste  material  from  the 
dining-room,  and  good  housekeepers  will  know 
that  it  should  be  emptied  at  least  once  a  day.  It 
begins  low  down  in  the  right  side  of  the  abdominal 
cavity  where  the  small  intestine  enters  into  it  at 
right  angles ;  not  quite  at  its  lower  end,  for  below 
the  place  of  union  there  is  a  little  pouch  known  as 
the  coecmn,  one  of  a  number  of  little  closets  of 
which  much  more  is  unknown  than  known. 

The  colon  goes  up  the  right  side  of  the  abdomen 
as  far  as  the  liver,  there  it  turns  and  goes  across 
to  the  left  side,  where  it  makes  another  turn  and 
goes  down  to  the  outlet.  It  is  altogether  about 
five  feet  long  and  is  much  wider  than  the  small 
intestine.  By  the  peculiar  arrangement  of  its 
muscular  fibers  the  colon  is  in  some  places  much 
smaller  than  in  others,  thus  forming  a  series  of 
pouches,  so  that  any  material  that  has  passed  from 
the  small  intestines  into  it  is  delayed  until  'the 
nourishment  remaining  in  it  has  been  absorbed. 


A,  Lungs.     B,  Heart.     C,   Liver.    D,  Stomach.    E,  Pancreas.    F,  Spleen. 
G,  Small  Intestines.    H,  Large  Intestines. 

86 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

THE   FORCE-PUMP. 

IN  the  very  centre  of  our  bodily  dwelling  we 
have  a  strong  force-pump  that  sends  fluids  to 
all  parts  of  the  house.  It  is  located  in  the  third 
story,  or  thorax,  and  is  so  wonderful  that  I  am 
sure  that  we  shall  delight  to  study  it.  It  is  about 
as  big  as  your  fist  and  is  conical  in  shape.  It  lies 
obliquely  in  the  thorax  with  the  base  uppermost 
and  toward  the  right,  while  the  point  touches  the 
left  side  between  the  fifth  and  sixth  ribs.  A 
bright  little  boy  who  was  asked  where  the  heart 
was  located  exclaimed,  "  Oh,  I  know.  It  is  north 
of  the  stomach." 

Put  your  chin  down  on  your  chest  as  low  as 
you  can ;  now  place  the  wrist  of  your  right  hand 
on  this  point,  with  your  finger  tips  about  over  the 
fifth  rib  on  the  left  side,  and  you  will  see  just 
about  where  the  heart  lies.  "  Oh  "  you  say,  "  the 
heart  cannot  be  away  up  there,  for  we  feel  it  beat 
down  on  the  side,  and  not  at  all  up  in  the  middle 
of  the  chest!"  That  is  because  the  tip  of  the 
heart  comes  close  to  the  walls  of  the  thorax  and 

87 


88 


OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 


touches  them  at  every  beat,  while  the  base  Hes  back 
of  the  lungs  and  its  beating  cannot  be  felt,  though 
it  can  be  heard  if  you  will  listen  at  this  point. 
This  little  pump  begins  to   work    long    before 


THE   HEART. 


Aura  comes  rushing  into  the  lungs,  and  it  is  the 
last  organ  of  the  body  to  stop  working.  In  very 
small  children  it  works  very  fast,  perhaps  making 
one  hundred  and  thirty  strokes  a  minute,  but  it 
gets  over  its  hurry  as  people  grow  older,  and  in 
adults  it  usually  beats  about  seventy-five  times  a 


THE  FORCE-PUMP.  89 

minute ;  however,  that  differs  in  different  people. 
If  you  put  your  finger  on  your  wrist  on  the  thumb 
side,  yon  can  feel  the  beating  of  the  pulse,  caused 
by  the  stroke  of  the  heart  sending  the  blood 
through  the  arteries. 

The  heart  is  a  hollow  muscle,  but  it  is  not  like 
the  muscles  on  the  outside  of  the  body.  These 
are  controlled  by  the  will,  but  we  have  not  been 
given  control  of  the  beating  of  the  heart.  And 
that  is  a  fine  thing  for  us,  for  if  we  had  to  manage 
it  all  the  time,  we  should  be  able  to  do  little  else. 
We  could  not  go  to  bed,  as  we  do  now,  and  sleep 
soundly,  feeling  sure  that  this  little  force-pump 
would  work  away  all  night  just  as  it  had  worked 
"all  day.  Does  it  never  rest,  then?  Oh,  yes,  it  rests 
between  beats.  It  makes  a  stroke,  and  then  it 
rests,  then  it  beats  again,  and  so  it  keeps  on  from 
the  first  moment  of  life  to  its  end.  It  does  not 
get  much  rest,  does  it?  And  yet  I  think  it  rests 
more  than  you  may  imagine.  Scientists  have 
made  such  accurate  calculations  that  we  now 
know  that  the  heart  rests  fully  five-eighths  of  the 
time,  which  really  makes  about  fifteen  hours  of 
the  twenty-four. 

I  think  you  will  be  suprised  to  learn  what  a  vast 
amount  of  work  the  heart  does.  As  I  said,  it  is  a 
hollow  muscle,  and  is  divided  into  two  parts,  a 
right  and  left  heart,  as  we  say.     Now,  don't  tell 


90 


OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 


somebody  that  I  said  we  have  a  heart  on  the  right 
side,  and  another  on  the  left  side,  for  that  is  not 
true.  We  have  a  right  and  a  left  heart,  but  both 
are  enclosed  in  a  sac,  the  pericardium,  which 
means  around  the  heart.  Each  division  is  again 
divided ;  the  upper  part  on  each  side  is  called  the 
auricle,  and  the  lower  one,  the  ventricle.  The 
right  and  left  sides  of  the  heart  are  entirely- 
separate  from  each  other  with  no  door  of  communi- 
cation between,  but  the  auricle  of  each  side  is 
connected  with  the  ventricle  of  the  same  side  by 
an  opening,  and  this  opening  is  closed  by  gates 
called  valves,  which  are  really  folds  of  the  membrane 
lining  of  the  heart.  These  gates  swing  from  the 
auricles  into  the  ventricles,  but  never  the  other 
way  because  fleshy  strings  are  fastened  to  them 
that  let  them  swing  only  until  their  points  come 
together,  thus  entirely  closing  the  opening. 


DIAGRAM    OF  HEART   SHOWING    VALVES. 

A,  Valve  closed.     B^  Valve  open.     C,  Valve  open.     D,  Valve  closed. 


THE   FORCE-PUMP.  91 

But  how  much  work  is  done  by  the  heart  in 
twenty-four  hours?  Physiologists  differ  in  their 
calculations,  but  we  must  always  remember  that 
the  size  of  the  heart  varies  in  different  individuals. 

If  a  man  weighs  150  pounds  and  his  heartbeats 
seventy-two  times  a  minute  we  can  come  pretty 
near  finding  out  the  amount  of  work  it  does.  The 
blood  equals  one-thirteenth  of  the  body  weight 
and  the  whole  amount  passes  through  the  heart  in 
fifty-three  beats.  The  capacity  of  the  heart  in  this 
man  will  be  about  three  and  one-half  ounces,  and 
in  less  than  ten  minutes  his  heart  will  have 
pumped  an  amount  equal  to  the  weight  of  his 
whole  body,  and  this  is  more  than  ten  tons  in 
twenty-four  hours.  But  this  does  not  accurately 
measure  the  force  it  uses,  for  we  must  multiply  the 
weight  by  the  distance  it  is  lifted.  If  we  say  we 
lift  one  pound  one  foot  high,  we  know  just  exactly 
what  we  do,  and  we  call  this  a  foot-pound.  If  we 
hft  four  pounds  four  feet  high,  it  is  the  same  as 
lifting  one  pound  sixteen  feet  high,  or  sixteen 
pounds  one  foot  high,  and  so  we  call  it  sixteen 
foot-pounds.  At  every  beat  of  the  heart  three  and 
one-half  ounces  are  sent  from  the  left  ventricle 
into  the  large  artery  called  the  aorta.  If  there 
were  no  walls  to  confine  it,  we  are  told  that  the 
blood  would  jet  six  feet  high  at  each  stroke,  so 
you  see  at  each  heart  beat,  enough  force  is  used  to 


92  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

send  three  and  one-half  ounces  six  feet  high ;  or, 
to  put  it  the  other  way,  it  could  send  twenty-one 
ounces  one  foot  high,  or  one  ounce  twenty-one 
feet  high.  Multiply  twenty-one  ounces  by  seventy- 
two,  the  number  of  heart-beats  and  we  find  that 
force  enough  is  used  to  send  one  thousand  five 
hundred  and  twelve  ounces  one  foot  high,  or  one 
ounce  one  thousand  five  hundred  and  twelve  feet 
high.  Now  go  on  with  the  problem.  Multiply 
one  thousand  five  hundred  and  twelve  by  sixty,  the 
number  of  minutes  in  an  hour,  and  that  by  twenty- 
four,  the  hours  in  a  day,  and  the  result  is  136,000 
foot-pounds  lifted  by  the  left  ventricle  alone. 

The  walls  of  the  left  ventricle  are  thicker  and 
stronger  than  those  of  the  right,  because  it  must 
send  blood  to  all  parts  of  the  body,  while  the 
right  ventricle  only  sends  it  to  the  lungs. 

What  a  marvelous  little  force-pump  the  heart  is  ! 

Should  we  not  use  it  well  and  give  it  time  to  rest? 

Count  your  pulse  when  you  are  lying  down,  and 
then  when  sitting  up,  then  when  standing,  then 
after  you  have  been  running,  and  you  will  under- 
stand that  the  heart  has  the  most  time  to  rest 
when  you  are  lying  down.  We  need  to  exercise, 
to  make  the  heart  send  the  blood  vigorously  to  all 
parts  of  the  body,  and  then  we  need  to  lie  down 
and  sleep  that  it  may  have  time  to  rest  and  gain 
strength  for  a  n^w  day. 


CHAPTER  XIV, 

THE   GENERAL   MANAGFR. 

I  FANCY  your  father  would  tb  nk  he  had  made 
a  fine  bargain  if,  when  he  bought  a  house,  he 
should  be  told  that  all  he  would  need  to  do  to 
keep  it  in  repair  would  be  to  bring  the  mortar, 
glass,  nails,  wood,  and  other  materials,  and  the 
house  would  help  itself  to  all  that  was  necessary. 
In  truth,  that  is  all  we  have  to  do  to  keep  our 
bodily  house  in  good  order.  We  cannot  furnish 
the  glass,  but  we  must  furnish  the  material  out  of 
which  glass  is  made.  We  do  not  furnish  bone  but 
the  material  from  which  bone  can  be  made,  and  so 
it  is  with  every  part  of  the  house.  And  if  we  do 
not  furnish  the  right  kind  of  material  in  the  right 
quantity,  the  house  falls  into  decay,  or  gets  out  of 
repair,  and  this  we  call  being  sick. 

In  our  homes  there  is  usually  some  one  who 
superintends  the  housekeeping.  Have  we  no  such 
general  manager  in  our  bodily  dwelling?  Oh,  yes, 
indeed.  Her  name  is  Blood,  and  a  very  active, 
busy  little  worker  she  is,  if  we  give  her  half  a 
chance.     She  goes  about  the  house  day  and  night, 

93 


94 


DIAGRAM  OF  THK  BLOOD  VESSELS. 


THE    GENERAL  MANAGER,  95 

never  stopping,  but  seeing  that  everything  is  in 
order.  If  I  were  to  paint  her  picture  it  would  be 
as  a  jolly,  round  little  body,  with  a  scarlet  dress, 
and  a  white  cap  on  her  head. 

A  large  passage  called  the  aorta  leads  from  the 
left  side  of  the  heart,  and  this  divides  and  sub- 
divides into  many  small  halls,  called  arteries,  and 
and  these  into  still  smaller  ones,  called  arterioles, 
and  these  again  into  some  so  small  that  they  are 
known  as  capillaries,  a  word  meaning  hairs.  These 
capillaries  are  found  in  every  part  and  every  organ 
of  the  body.  When  we  stick  a  pin  into  the  skin, 
and  it  bleeds,  it  is  because  we  have  pierced  a 
capillary.  These  capillaries  are  gathered  up  in 
the  larger  vessels  or  tubes,  called  veins,  and  these 
into  still  larger  ones,  until  at  last  two  large  veins, 
the  vena  cavae  ascendens  and  the  ve7ia  cavae 
desceiide7is^  enter  the  right  side  of  the  heart. 

The  arteries  carry  pure  blood  and  may  be 
likened  to  water  pipes.  The  veins  carry  impure 
blood  and  are,  therefore,  like  drainage  pipes.  So 
you  see  the  arteries  and  veins  belong  to  the 
plumbing  of  the  house  ;  and  as  it  is  through  them 
that  blood  goes  to  all  parts  of  the  body,  we  could 
not  very  well  describe  them  until  we  came  to  talk 
of  our  general  manager. 

The  fluid  part  of  the  blood  is  known  as  the 
blood-plasma   from   the   Greek   word   meaning    to 


96 


OUR  BODILY  DWELLING, 


form.  It  is  so  called  because  it  carries  the  build- 
ing material  out  of  which  the  various  tissues  are 
formed.  This  blood-plasma  filters  through  the 
capillaries  into  the  tissues  and  is  then  known  as 
lymph.  In  this  plasma  float  cells  or  corpuscles, 
some  red  and  some  white,  about  one  white  one  to 
four  hundred  and  fifty  red  ones. 
That  is  why  I  said  the  dress  of 
the  house-keeper  was  red  and 
her  cap  white.  The  red  corpus- 
cles are  in  shape  like  pieces  of 
money  hollowed  out  on  both 
sides.  They  find  their  way  in 
crowds  through  the  arteries 
down  into  the  tiny  capillaries 
where  they  are  obliged  to  go  in 
single  file. 

They  carry  oxygen  which  slips  through  the 
walls  of  the  capillaries  along  with  the  lymph  and 
so  is  brought  to  each  tissue  the  peculiar  food  it 
needs  to  keep  It  In  repair. 

The  dead  or  waste  material  Is  collected  with  the 
lymph  and  carried  to  the  veins.  As  the  blood 
then  goes  through  the  lungs,  the  carbonic  acid 
gas  Is  thrown  out.  Some  of  the  dead  matter  is 
thrown  off  by  the  skin.  In  the  liver  the  blood 
goes  through  certain  changes  so  that  waste 
material  can  be  sent  to  the  kidneys  to  be  elimi- 


CORPUSCLES  OF  HUMAN 
BLOOD,  HIGHLY  MAG- 
NIFIED. 


THE   GENERAL  MANAGER. 


97 


nated  in  the  form  of  urea,  and  that  is  the  way  our 
bodily  housekeeping  is  done. 

Blood  carries  with  her  a  peculiar  substance 
called  fibrin  which  prevents  her  running  away 
whenever  the  blood  vessels  are  injured.  It  might 
almost  be  called  her  conscience.  You  know  that 
sometimes  when  you  are  tempted  to  do  a  wrong, 
there  is  something  in  you 
that  stops  you.  Perhaps 
you  think  you  will  play 
truant,  but  this  invisible 
something  seems  to  tie 
your  feet  and  you  cannot 
go.  We  call  this  con- 
science. The  fibrin  of  the 
blood  is  that  substance 
which  forms  a  clot.  You 
have  perhaps  seen  a  clot 
of  blood,  but  have  not 
thought  how  important  it 
is  that  blood  should  clot, 
or  coagulate,  as  it  is  called. 
If  freshly  drawn  blood  is  whipped  with  twigs,  we 
can  see  in  it  little  fine  white  threads.  This  is  the 
fibrin,  and  is  what  makes  a  wound  stop  bleeding 
of  its  own  accord,  by  catching  the  red  corpuscles 
and  forming  the  clot.  It  is  just  as  if  Blood  car- 
ried strings  in  her  pocket,  and    when    she    finds  a 


BLOOD    VESSELS. 


98  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

temptation    to    run  away  through  an  open  door, 
she  ties  her  own  feet  so  she  cannot  go. 

You  will  readily  understand  that  Blood  never 
rests.  Night  and  day  she  hastens  on  her  round 
of  duties.  She  starts  out  rather  briskly  impelled 
by  the  force  of  the  heart,  and  runs  through  the 
arteries  at  the  rate  of  twelve  or  fifteen  inches  per 
second,  but  in  the  capillaries  she  does  not  go 
faster  than  one-fortieth  of  an  inch  a  second,  for 
here  it  is  that  the  real  work  of  the  housekeeping  is 
done,  and  she  must  go  more  slowly  in  order  to 
attend  to  business.  When  she  gets  to  the  veins,  she 
finds  little  gates  or  valves  that  shut  behind  her  and 
prevent    her    going    back    even  if  she  wanted    to. 


VEINS,  SHOWING  VALVES. 


Here  she  cannot  feel  the  impulse  of  the  heart  so 
strongly  to  hurry  her  along,  and  if  she  is  away 
down  in  the  feet,  she  has  a  long  distance  to  climb ; 
but  the  valves  close  behind  her,  and  if  we  are  exer- 
cising, the  muscle-:  press  upon  the  veins  and 
hurry  her  along.  The  action  of  the  lungs  in  breath- 
ing gives  her  a  new  impulse,  and  so  Blood  is 
impelled  through  the  veins  to  the  heart. 


THE    GENERAL   MANAGER.  99 

Sometimes  there  is  in  the  house  a  general  dis- 
turbance which  we  call  a  fever.  The  force-pump 
works  very  fast  and  Blood  rushes  through  the  halls 
in  great  haste  and  unless  something  is  done  to  make 
her  cool  down  and  move  a  little  more  gently,  Man 
may  actually  be  compelled  to  move  out  of  his 
house  and  leave  it. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

THE   SERVANTS. 

WE  may,  in  a  general  way,  call  the  hands  and 
feet  servants,  but  they  are  only  automatic 
servants  obeying  man's  will  as  machines ;  we  will 
therefore  think  of  them  only  as  appendages.  Did 
you  never  wish  that  a  dish-washing  machine  could 
be  invented?  Well,  you  see  that  in  your  hands 
you  have  a  most  complete  one.  Nothing  could 
be  made  so  perfectly  adapted  to  its  various  uses 
as  the  human  hand  with  its  bony  frame-work, 
muscular  machinery,  and  electric  wires  of  the 
nerves.  Man  is  the  animal  with  the  thumb,  and 
the  possession  of  that  little  organ  gives  him  great 
superiority.  Experiment,  and  see  how  few  things 
you  could  do  well  if  you  had  no  thumb,  and  you 
will  come  to  prize  that  part  of  your  hand  more 
than  you  have  ever  done  before. 

But  we  are  now  going  to  talk  of  the  servants  of 
our  bodily  dwelling.  The  principal  servants  are 
the  cells,  and  marvelous  little  creatures  they  are. 
Cells  are  little  sacs  containing  a  jelly-like  fluid 
which  looks  much  like  the  white  of  an  egg;  some 
100 


THE   SERVANTS. 


101 


are  so  very  small  that  over  three  thousand  of 
them  could  be  laid  side  by  side  in  the  space  of  an 
inch.  There  are  nerve  cells,  muscle  cells,  brain 
cells,  and  red  and  white  blood  cells.  And  each 
particular  cell  understands  and  does  its  own  pecu- 
liar work  and  selects  its  own  food  out  of  the  gen- 
eral mass.  The  blood  cells  have  the  power  of 
changing  their  form.  Every  activity  whether  of 
body    or   brain,    whether    muscular    exercise,    or 


A.  Cylindrical  Epithelium  cells,  from  intestines.     (Magnified  150  diameters.) 

B.  Intestinal  Epithelium  from  Jejunum.     (Magnified  150  diameters  ) 

C.  Brain  Cell  from  Cerebral  Cortex.     (Magnified  100  diameters.) 

D.  Neive  Cell.     (Magnified  100  diameters.)         E.  Smooth  Muscle  Cell. 


speech,  or  thought,  or  emotion,  causes  some  change 
in  tissue,  uses  up  or  destroys  cell-substance ;  but 
new  material  is  constantly  being  added  in  the 
place  of  that  which  is  destroyed  so  that  while  we 
are  continually  dying  we  are  continually  being 
made  over  anew. 

You  may  call  these  cells,  then,  general  servants, 
each   having   a   certain   line   of   work  to  do,   and 


102  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

doing  the  work  always  as  perfectly  as  possible 
with  the  materials  furnished.  The  general  man- 
ager, Blood,  brings  materials  to  the  tissues,  and 
the  cells  governing  the  growth  and  repair  of  the 
bones  select  from  it  the  different  forms  of  lime, 
magnesia,  and  soda  that  are  needed  to  build  up 
the  bones  and  keep  them  in  good  order,  while 
from  the  same  store  of  material  the  muscles  and 
the  nerves  search  for  the  albumen,  glycogen,  and 
other  material  which  they  need. 

Cells  are  constantly  busy  with  different  kinds  of 
work.  First,  we  may  say  their  work  is  to  absorb 
nutrient  material,  each  tissue  searching  out  that 
which  it  especially  needs.  Second,  their  work  is 
to  make  that  material  over  into  some  part  of  the 
body.  Of  course,  before  new  material  can  be  put  in 
any  part  of  the  body,  the  dead  material  must  be 
removed,  and  so,  third,  a  part  of  cell  work  is  to 
gather  up  waste  matter  that  is  of  no  further  use, 
and  cast  it  out,  just  as  the  workmen  gather  up 
the  pieces  of  lime  and  mortar  or  broken  glass 
after  they  have  done  a  job  of  repairing.  Fourth, 
cell  work  is  to  increase  the  size  of  the  organ.  In 
people  who  have  their  growth,  the  cells  have  only 
to  remove  the  worn-out  matter  and  put  in  new: 
but  children  are  growing  all  the  time,  so,  in  them, 
the  cells  must  be  continually  adding  new  material. 

All    over  the  body  these  tiny,  living  cells  are 


THE   SERVANTS.  103 


busy,  busy ;  the  liver  cells  are  making  bile,  liver- 
sugar,  and  separating  waste  matter  ;  the  cells  of  the 
glands  are  making  saliva,  gastric  juice,  and  other 
digestive  fluids ;  and  other  cells  are  making  the 
coloring  matter  that  paints  our  skin. 

If  the  body  is  injured,  the  cells  at  the  border  of 
the  wound  go  to  work  to  heal  it  by  filling  up  the 
space  with  new  material.  We  talk  sometimes  about 
salves  and  ointments  having  healing  power,  but 
the  healing  power  really  lies  in  the  ability  of  the 
cells  to  make  new  tissue.  The  salve  acts  only  as 
a  protection. 

Cells  are  often  very  kind  and  helpful  and  will 
undertake  to  work  for  each  other.  Thus,  if  the 
skin  has  been  chilled,  the  mucous  membrane  will 
try  to  do  the  work  for  it,  and  that  is  why  there  is 
such  an  increase  of  mucus  in  the  nose  or  bronchial 
tubes  when  we  have  a  cold.  If  the  kidneys  do  not 
work  well,  the  skin  tries  to  help  throw  out  the 
waste  matter,  and  so  we  find  all  over  the  house 
the  various  servants  are  kindly  helping  each  other, 
for  they  are  all  related,  and  they  seem  to  know 
that  if  any  are  sick  they  will  all  soon  suffer. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

THE    PURIFYING  APPARATUS. 

BETWEEN  the  windows  of  the  eyes  begins  the 
sloping  roof  of  the  porch  we  call  the  nose, 
covering  the  two  circular  doorways  through  which 
the  good  fairy  Aura  goes  in  and  out  of  the  house. 
This  porch  has  a  bony,  cartilaginous  framework 
and  muscular  walls.  Its  interior  is  divided  into 
two  passages  called  the  nasal  fossae.  These  pas- 
sages, like  all  cavities  opening  to  the  air,  are  lined 
with  mucous  membrane  which  secretes  the  semi- 
fluid called  mucus.  It  used  to  be  thought  that 
this  mucus  in  the  nose  came  from  the  brain,  but  a 
man  named  Schneider  discovered  that  it  was  made 
by  this  membrane,  and  the  membrane  is  therefore 
called  the  Sck'^eideriaii  membrane. 

Aura  mounts  the  dark  stairway,  not  hindered 
by  the  hairy  guards  stationed  there  to  keep  out 
intruders;  she  descends  through  the  winding  pas- 
sages into  the  hall  of  the  pharynx,  and,  crossing 
the  head  of  the  kitchen  stairs,  she  finds  in  her 
path  a  little  trap-door  called  the  epiglottis.  This 
being  raised.  Aura  passes  down  another  stairway, 
104 


THE  PURIFYING  APPARATUS. 


105 


the  trachea,  into  the  laundry  or  lungs,  which 
occupy  the  larger  part  of  the  third  story  of  the 
house,  known  as  the  thorax.  This  stairway  of  the 
trachea  differs  from  that  which  leads  down  into 
the  kitchen  in  the  Jact  that  the  walls  are  firm  and 


TRAP-DOOR   OPEN.  CLOSED. 

DIAGRAM    OF  TRACHEA. 


do  not  lie  close  together  as  do  the  walls  of  the 
oesophagus. 

The  trachea,  sometimes  called  the  wind-pipe,  is 
about  four  and  a  half  inches  long.  At  the  top  of 
it  is  the  wonderful  musical  instrument,  the  larynx, 
through  which  Aura  gently  passes,  usually  mak- 
ing no  noise.  At  the  bottom  of  the  trachea  two 
passages  branch  out  to  the  right  and  left.  These 
are  called   the  bronchial  tubes.     They  divide  and 


106  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

subdivide  into  still  smaller  tubes  until  they  become 
exceedingly  fine,  but  still  Aura  finds  her  way 
through  them  to  the  place  where  each  ends  in  a 
small  room  known  as  a  pulmonary  lobule,  where 
are  placed  the  stationary  tubs  or  air  cells. 

Here  it  is  that  the  most  wonderful  washing  pro- 
cess takes  place,  the  washing  of  the  blood  by  the 
air.  We  may  perhaps  think  that  if  Aura  is  a 
fairy  she  will  not  do  such  menial  work  as  washing, 
but  that  which  she  does  is  like  the  wonderful 
stories  we  read,  where  the  fairy  waves  a  wand  and 
says,  '*  abracadabra,  presto  change,"  and  all  is 
done. 

Monday  is  often  spoken  of  as  the  day  when 
there  are  "  picked  up  "  dinners,  and  all  sorts  of 
discomforts.  In  some  parts  of  the  old  world, 
washing-day  comes  once  in  three  months  among 
the  poorer  people,  and  once  a  year  among  the 
rich,  and  then  a  great  ado  is  raised.  Numbers  of 
washer-women  are  called  in,  big  fires  are  built, 
and  there  is  rubbing  and  scrubbing  that  goes 
on  for  a  week  before  all  the  soiled  clothes  that  have 
accumulated  during  the  year  are  cleansed. 

But  every  day  is  wash-day  in  our  bodily  dwell- 
ing, and  if  the  other  business  of  the  house  were 
much  disturbed  by  the  process,  we  should  be  in 
**  hot  water,"  or  "  suds  "  all  the  time.  But  in  truth 
the  work  goes  on  so  quietly  and  systematically  that 


THE   PURIFYING  APPARATUS. 


107 


we  think  little  about  it,  although  we  become  much 
distressed  if,  for  any  reason,  Aura  is  interfered  with 
in  her  work. 

In  order  to  understand  what  she  does  we  will 


THE   LUNGS,   SHOWING  THE   LARYNX. 

A.  The  Windpipe.     B.  Bronchial  Tubes. 


have  to  learn  a  little  more  about  the  structure  and 
purpose  of  the  lungs.  First  let  me  point  out  to 
you  that  the  trachea  is  made  with  firm  walls  of 
cartilage  or  gristle,  but  the  rings  of   cartilage  do 


108 


OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 


not  go  all  the  way  around,  for  if  they  did  they 
might  interfere  with  the  working  of  the  oesophagus, 
and  prevent  the  food  from  passing  down  into  the 
stomach.  So,  just  at  the  back,  where  the  oesopha- 
gus and  trachea  lie  together,  the  cartilaginous  rings 
of  the  trachea  are  finished  by  muscular  fibers. 


A .  Front  and  B.  Back  of  Trachea. 


The  walls  of  the  bronchical  tubes  are  stiffened 
with  cartilage  so  that  they  will  stay  open.  All 
these  passages  are  lined  with  mucous  membrane, 
and  here  are  stationed  very  fine  and  delicate  attend- 
ants called  cilia,  who  keep  up  a  constant  bowing 
motion  toward  the  trachea,  and  so   help  Aura  to 


THE  PURIFYING  APPARATUS. 


109 


take  back  again  to  the  outer  world  any  intruders 

who  may  have  found  their  way  in. 

The  bronchial  tubes  and  air 
cells  make  up  the  lungs,  hung 
like  two  air  bags  in  the  cavity 
of  the  thorax.  This  cavity  is 
lined  with  a  membrane  called 
the    pleura    which    is    reflected 

back    and    covers    the     lungs.       This    membrane 

secretes  a  fluid  that  makes  the  lungs  move  easily 


CILEATKD    CELLS. 


TRACHEA   AND   AIR-TUBES  —  ONE   SIDE   COVERED   BY   LUNG. 

as  the  two   coats  of  the  pleura   play   upon    each 
other  in  breathing. 


110 


OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 


You  have  not  forgotten  that  the  thorax  is  framed 
with  the  spine  and  sternum  connected  by  the  ribs, 
twelve  on  each  side.  These  ribs  are  so  attached 
to  the  spine  and  sternum  that  they  are  to  quite 
a  degree  movable,  and  the  strong  muscles  are 
so  arranged  as  to  lift  them  upward  and  outward 
at  each  breath.  When  those  lift,  the  cavity 
of  the  chest  grows  larger  and  this  is  an  invitation 
to  Aura  to  come  in  and  fill  the  space,  which  she 
quietly  does.  But  the  cavity  is  enlarged  not  only 
from  side  to  side,  but  from  above  and  downward. 
You  can  make  a  little  contrivance  to  illustrate 
the  motion  of  the  ribs  in  breath- 
ing. Take  a  stick  and  drive  into 
it  two  nails  opposite  to  each 
other.  Drive  them  so  that  they 
will  point  out,  down,  and  just  a 
little  back.  This  illustrates  the 
way  the  ribs  are  attached  to  the 
spine.  The  ribs  may  be  repre- 
sented by  two  wires  curved  and 
attached  at  one  end  to  the  nail. 
Raise  the  free  ends  and  notice  how  the  space 
between  them  increases.  In  just  this  way  the 
cavity  of  the  chest  is  increased  by  the  raising  of 
the  ribs  in  inspiration. 

The  floor  of    the  thorax  is  a  strong  muscular 
partition  that  acts  also  as  a  roof  or  ceiling  to  the 


THE  PURIFYING  APPARATUS.  \\\ 

abdominal  cavity.  There  are  openings  through  it 
for  the  kitchen  stairs  and  for  some  of  the  plumb- 
ing and  electric  wires,  but  it  closes  tightly  around 
these  so  that  there  are  no  open  spaces  in  it. 
This  muscular  partition  is  called  the  diaphragm, 
and  it  is  a  very  important  breathing  muscle.  The 
floor  formed  by  it  is  like  a  dome  swelling  up  into 
the  thorax.  It  is  fastened  along  the  lower  border 
of  the  ribs,  thus  making  the  front  side  shorter  than 
the  back.  When  we  breathe  in,  it  flattens  or  grows 
'*taut"  as  a  sailor  would  say,  and  the  sides  are 
pulled  outward  by  the  lifting  of  the  ribs  and  the 
diameter  of  the  body  at  this  point  is  increased  and 
the  abdominal  viscera  are  pushed  downward. 
When  we  breathe  out  the  diaphragm  relaxes  and 
the  abdominal  organs  returning  to  their  places 
push  it  up  in  the  center  and  restore  its  dome-like 
shape. 

An  idea  of  the  movements  of  the  diaphragm 
may  be  obtained  by  opening  and  shutting  an 
umbrella.  When  you  open  the  umbrella,  its 
diameter  increases  and  the  silk  is  tightly  stretched. 
When  you  partly  close  it,  the  diameter  is  short- 
ened and  the  silk  is  loose.  If  you  had  an  elastic 
cylinder  around  the  umbrella  you  would  see  it 
would  need  to  stretch  a  good  deal  as  the  umbrella 
opens.  The  body  is  an  elastic  cylinder  around 
the  diaphragm  and  naturally  grows   larger   when 


112  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

breath  is  taken  in  and  the  diaphragm  grows  tense 
and  is  stretched. 

If  tight  clothing  is  worn,  the  body  cannot  expand 
and  the  action  of  the  diaphragm  is  interfered  with, 
the  lungs  are  not  completely  filled  with  air,  and 
serious  results  follow.  The  upper  muscles  of  the 
thorax  work  harder  to  lift  the  ribs  further,  and  we 
have  a  great  heaving  of  the  chest.  Some  people 
have  supposed  that  because  women  breathe  in  this 
way  it  is  proof  that  this  is  a  feminine  style  of 
breathing.  But,  in  truth,  it  is  only  an  effort  to 
take  air  into  lungs  that  are  so  compressed  by 
bands  and  tight  clothing  that  they  cannot  expand 
at  the  lower  part  as  they  should.  It  has  been 
learned  that  a  man  dressed  in  the  same  way  will 
breathe  with  the  upper  part  of  his  chest  in  the  so- 
called  feminine  fashion. 

We  sometimes  hear  women  say  that  they  cannot 
sit  up  unless  they  have  on  corsets  to  support  them. 
If  we  should  see  a  person  putting  an  iron  band 
around  his  dwelling,  and  he  should  tell  us  that  it 
would  not  stand  up  without  this  band,  we  should 
at  once  say  that  he  must  have  employed  a  very 
poor  builder;  but  we  know  that  our  divine  Archi- 
tect does  not  do  such  poor  work ;  and  if  the  bodily 
house  cannot  stand  erect  without  stays,  it  is  be- 
cause the  muscular  walls  have  not  been  used,  and 
thereby  have  become  weak.     Now  that  girls  of  the 


THE  PURIFYING  APPARATUS. 


115 


present  time  are  using  their  muscles  vigorously  in 
out-door  sports,  we  find  that  they,  as  well  as  boys, 
can  grow  up  with  firm  walls  that  will  hold  them  up 
without  external  aid. 

But  some  people  have  an  idea  that  the  body  is 
not  so  beautiful  if  left  as  the  Creator  made  it  as 
when  it  is  made  over  and  drawn  in  to  give  a 
slender  effect.      If  we  take  a  peep   inside  and  see 


NATXJRAL   FIGURE. 


DEFORMED    BY    LACING. 


what  is  done  to  the  internal   organs,   I  think  we 
shall  come  to  have  a  different  idea  of  beauty. 

We  are  not  fond  of  tiny  rooms  in  our  dwellings. 
We  don't  like  to  have  the  furniture  all  crowded  so 
closely  together  that  we  can  hardly  walk  through. 
We  never  hear  people  boast  of  how  small  a  house 
they  have,  unless  it  is  their  bodil\'  house  they  are 


114  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

talking  of ;  and  then  they  sometimes  like  to  tell 
how  they  can  squeeze  it  into  the  smallest  possible 
compass  just  over  the  rooms  that  contain  the 
most  precious  furniture.  The  lower  part  of  the 
laundry  is  thus  compressed  so  that  Aura  cannot 
get  in;  the  working  of  the  force-pump,  the  heart, 
is  hindered ;  the  kitchen  is  squeezed  so  that  it 
cannot  churn  the  food  properly;  that  wonderful 
laboratory,  the  liver,  is  pressed  quite  out  of  place , 
and  perhaps,  worst  of  all,  the  dining-room  is 
pressed  down  out  of  the  proper  place  in  the 
abdominal  cavity  until  it  rests  upon  the  contents  of 
the  pelvic  cavity,  thus  creating  a  great  deal  of 
pain  and  trouble. 

Is  it  not  queer  that  women,  who  are  such 
excellent  housekeepers  and  who  are  so  distressed 
if  their  dwellings  are  out  of  order,  should  so  persist 
in  disarranging  the  furniture  of  their  bodily  houses 
and  claim  that  it  adds  to  their  beauty?  I  think, 
however,  that  it  is  because  they  have  not  studied 
the  construction  of  their  own  bodies. 

I  am  sure  that  you  who  know  about  the  marvels 
of  yourself  and  the  work  that  is  being  done  in 
your  body,  will  not  interfere  with  the  efforts  of  the 
kind  servants  who  work  night  and  day  to  keep 
you  alive,  by  making  them  live  and  labor  in  a 
room  so  small  and  restricted  that  they  cannot  do 
their  work  well. 


THE  PURIFYING   APPARATUS.  115 

In  order  that  you  may  understand  the  wonder- 
ful washing  that  goes  on  in  the  laundry,  we  shall 
have  to  study  about  the  changes  that  take  place 
in  the  blood  that  make  it  need  cleansing.  I  have 
told  you  that  we  are  constantly  using  up  material, 
and  one  office  of  the  blood  is  to  gather  up  the 
little  dead  particles  that  result  from  all  the  activ- 
ities of  life.  The  blood  also  brings  back  to  the 
tissues  that  which  will  replace  what  they  have  lost. 
The  blood  comes  into  the  lungs  dark  and  impure : 
it  gives  up  its  carbonic  acid  gas  and  by  taking  up 
oxygen  is  changed  from  its  dark  color  to  a  bright 
scarlet.  We  will  not  forget  that  these  two  gases 
are  carried  by  the  red  corpuscles.  This  giving 
out  of  one  gas  and  taking  up  of  the  other  is  the 
washing  process.  There  is  no  rubbing  and  boiling 
and  rinsing  and  starching,  and  after  the  washing  is 
done,  no  scrubbing  to  do.  The  blood  runs  through 
minute  channels  in  the  membrane  of  the  air  cells 
and  the  air  fills  the  cells  on  the  other  side  of  the 
membrane.  The  carbonic  acid  gas  slips  through 
the  membrane  from  the  blood  into  the  air,  and 
the  oxygen  slips  through  the  membrane  from  the 
air  into  the  blood,  and  the  washing  is  done. 

Eighteen  or  twenty  times  a  minute  Aura  comes 
in  bringing  in  the  supplies  of  oxygen  and  goes  out 
with  the  carbonic  acid  gas,  and  the  more  deeply 
we  breathe,  the  more  perfect  will  be  the  cleansing 


116  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

of  the  blood.  Dr.  J.  H.  Kellogg  says  that  every 
time  we  breathe  we  spoil  at  least  a  half  barrel  of 
air,  or  six  hundred  barrels  every  hour.  This  gives 
us  a  very  good  idea  of  how  needful  it  is  to  have 
some  way  of  letting  pure  air  into  the  rooms  we 
inhabit.  If  every  door  and  window  is  tightly 
closed,  and  the  fire  and  lights  are  burning,  using 
up  our  oxygen  as  they  must  in  order  to  burn,  we 
cannot  wonder  if  we  have  a  headache,  and  feel 
stupid,  for  we  are  poisoned  by  breathing  in  the 
waste  matter  from  our  own  lungs  and  we  are  not 
taking  in  oxygen  to  give  us  new  material.  Tracy 
says  that  a  five-foot  gas  burner  creates  as  much 
carbonic  acid  gas  as  five  men. 

When  we  say  that  we  spoil  one-half  barrel  of 
air  at  every  breath  we,  of  course,  do  not  mean 
that  we  breathe  out  that  much,  for  the  lungs  do 
not  hold  more  than  one  and  a  half  gallons  of  air, 
and  we  do  not  empty  them  fully  at  each  breath. 
About  a  pint  of  air  is  taken  in  and  breathed  out 
in  moderate  breathing,  and  this  we  call  tidal  air 
because  it  ebbs  and  flows  like  the  tide.  When  we 
run  or  exercise  briskly  the  heart  beats  faster,  the 
lungs  work  harder,  and  we  take  in  more  air,  three 
times  as  much,  perhaps,  and  this  is  called  comple- 
mental  air.  When  we  breathe  out  this  fuller 
amount,  it  is  called  reserve  air,  because  we  had  it 
reserved  for  some  special  occasion  which  demands 


THE  PURIFYING  APPARATUS,  117 

more  than  the  ordinary  tidal  air.  But  after  we 
have  breathed  out  all  that  we  possibly  can,  there 
still  remains  as  much  more  that  we  can  by  no 
means  empty  out  of  the  lungs,  and  this  is  called 
residual  air.  Residual  means  that  which  remains, 
so  we  can  see  why  it  gets  that  name. 

The  question  m^ay  arise  in  your  minds,  how  can 
oxygen  get  to  the  little  tubs  of  the  air  cells  to 
wash  the  blood,  if  not  more  than  one-tenth  of  the 
air  is  changed  at  every  breath?  I  will  see  if  I 
can  explain  that.  You  see  that  the  air  going  out 
of  the  lungs  is  not  like  people  going  out  of  a 
room,  where  those  near  the  door  must  go  out  first 
before  those  at  the  further  side  of  the  room  can 
go  out.  To  explain  the  change  of  air  in  breathing 
we  must  study  the  law  of  diffusion  of  gases.  That 
sounds  as  if  it  might  be  very  hard  to  learn,  but 
like  many  other  things  it  is  much  easier  than  you 
might  think.  Gases  are  very  light  substances. 
They  are  very  friendly  and  mix  readily  with,  or 
diffuse  through  each  other.  Air  is  composed  of 
gases,  and  when  it  is  breathed  in,  it  contains  one 
part  oxygen  and  four  parts  nitrogen  with  a  very 
small  amount  of  carbonic  acid  gas.  It  gives  up 
oxygen  to  the  blood  in  the  lungs  and  in  return 
receives  from  the  blood  carbonic  acid  gas,  so  that 
the  air  that  is  breathed  out  has  less  oxygen  and 
more  carbonic  acid  gas.     As  the  air  was  breathed 


118  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

in,  the  gases  began  to  mingle  all  through  the 
lungs  until  they  were  equally  distributed,  and  then 
the  oxygen  that  was  near  the  walls  of  the  air  cells 
passed  through  them  into  the  blood,  and  so  we 
see  that  although  the  lungs  are  never  entirely 
emptied,  yet  the  whole  volume  of  air  is  changed  at 
each  breath. 

The  walls  of  the  air  cells  are  so  thin  that  ten  of 
them  would  not  be  thicker  than  this  paper;  and 
if  all  that  are  contained  in  one  pair  of  lungs  could 
be  spread  out  over  a  flat  surface,  it  would  cover 
a  space  equal  to  250  square  yards.  You  see 
there  are  about  700,000,000  of  these  little  tubs  in 
our  laundry,  and  each  one  made  of  this  delicate 
membrane,  so  we  can  get  an  idea  of  the  amount  of 
washing  done  at  one  breath. 

But  if  we  send  out  so  much  carbonic  acid  at 
each  breath,  how  does  the  outside  air  keep  pure? 
Because  the  trees  and  plants  take  up  the  carbonic 
acid  gas  and  give  out  oxygen,  and  so  they  purify 
the  air  which  we  pollute.  That  is  why  the  air  of 
the  country  seems  so  sweet  and  pure,  and  why 
plants  and  "green  things  growing"  are  so  neces- 
sary in  cities.  Little  parks  in  the  midst  of  great 
cities  are  not  only  a  beauty  but  a  need,  and  the 
plants  in  houses  help  to  purify  the  air  as  well  as 
to  make  the  home  look  bright. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE    HEATING  APPARATUS. 

THERE  are  many  remarkable  things  about  the 
body  as  you  have  already  learned ;  but  I 
have  one  more  marvel  to  tell  you  now,  and  it  is 
that  no  matter  how  cold  or  how  hot  the  weather 
may  be  our  bodily  temperature  remains  about  the 
same,  and  we  begin  to  ask,  "  Where  are  the  stoves 
that  keep  it  warm?  " 

Some  dwellings  are  heated  by  hot  air  from  a 
furnace,  others  by  steam,  others  by  natural  gas,  or 
wood,  or  coal  burned  in  stoves  or  open  grates. 

Our  wonderful  house  has  a  combination  of 
methods.  We  all  know  that  a  fire  will  not  burn 
unless  it  has  air.  In  the  process  of  burning,  the 
oxygen  of  the  air  unites  with  the  carbon  of  the 
fuel.  This  is  called  oxidation,  and  by  it  carbonic 
acid  gas  and  other  products  are  formed.  Again 
we  find  our  good  fairy  Aura  with  her  assistant. 
Oxygen,  helping  to  keep  us  warm.  Oxidation  is 
a  chemical  process,  and  chemical  processes  are 
usually  accompanied  with  the  formation  of  heat. 
Foods,  as  we  have  seen,  consist  of  carbon,  hydro- 

119 


120  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

gen,  nitrogen,  and  oxygen.  These  are  taken  into 
the  body  and  undergo  a  process  by  which  the 
carbon  and  oxygen  unite  to  form  carbonic  acid 
gas,  and  the  hydrogen  and  oxygen  unite  to  form 
water.  This  process  is  called  oxidation  of  the 
tissues :  and,  as  it  goes  on  in  every  cell,  we  may 
call  the  cells  little  stoves. 

In  our  study  of  the  lungs  we  learned  that  oxygen 
is  taken  in  and  carbonic  acid  gas  given  out  at 
every  breath,  and  this  process  keeps  up  the  fires 
all  over  the  body  in  these  little  cell  stoves.  We 
might  almost  call  the  lungs  and  the  pores  the  stove- 
pipes which  carry  off  the  smoke  and  bad  gases. 
The  more  a  man  exercises,  the  more  the  cells  will 
have  to  do  to  repair  waste,  so  we  learn  how  exer- 
cise makes  us  warm.  It  causes  the  cells  to  work 
harder,  to  burn  more  fuel  and  to  demand  more 
new  material  through  the  food  for  repair,  and  this 
demand  we  call  hunger. 

We  can  also  understand  why  we  are  cold  when 
we  sit  still.  We  do  not  take  enough  oxygen  in  the 
lungs  to  feed  the  stoves,  and  the  lungs  do  not 
carry  out  the  waste  material  very  fast ;  the  cells, 
not  being  called  on  to  work  very  fast,  do  not 
generate  much  heat.  If  exercise  produces  heat, 
we  can  readily  understand  that  active  muscles  are 
great  sources  of  heat.  By  pressure  on  the  blood 
vessels  they  increase  circulation,  and  this  brings 


THE  HEATING  APPARATUS.  121 

more  oxygen  to  the  tissues.  Exercise  uses  up  the 
tissue-cells  and  they  call  for  new  material  from  the 
blood,  so  you  see  heat  is  created  by  this  process 
of  decomposition  or  combustion,  as  we  may  call  it. 

Physiologists  estimate  that  four-fifths  of  the  heat 
of  a  healthy  body  is  produced  by  the  muscles. 
If  you  are  cold  and  are  sitting  still  you  can  know 
that  the  fire  in  your  cell-stoves  has  died  down 
very  low,  and  the  quickest  way  to  rekindle  it  is  to 
exercise  briskly.  Get  up,  shake  your  hands  and 
feet,  run,  jump,  and  call  the  general  manager. 
Blood,  to  go  rapidly  through  the  house  and  look 
after  the  fire,  to  rake  out  the  cinders  and  ashes 
and  bring  new  fuel,  and  soon  the  pipes  of  the 
lungs  will  carry  out  the  deadly  gases,  and  Oxygen 
will  come  in  and  start  the  fire  to  burning  brightly. 
If  the  temperature  is  raised  by  exercise,  it  will  not 
fall  under  an  hour  and  a  half.  We  can  therefore 
understand  that  to  sit  still  longer  than  that  period 
of  time  will  probably  result  in  a  slowing  of  the  cir- 
culation that  will  make  us  feel  cold.  Digestion  is 
a  chemical  process  so  we  will  not  be  surprised  to 
learn  that  it  produces  heat. 

Glands  are  organs  that  take  material  from  the 
blood,  and  make  out  of  it  new  material,  so  the 
gland-cells  are  also  stoves.  Mental  exertion  pro- 
duces heat.  The  brain  of  a  man  who  is  thinking 
is  warmer  than  that  of  a  man  who  is  sleeping,  so 


122  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

the  brain  cells  are  stoves  too.  The  liver  is  the 
largest  gland  of  the  body,  and  in  its  work  a  large 
amount  of  heat  is  produced.  Therefore  we  may 
call  the  liver  a  furnace.  It  does  various  kinds  of 
work.  It  manufactures  sugar  and  glycogen  and 
one  always  needs  a  fire  in  a  manufactory  you 
know.  It  excretes  waste  matters  and  secretes 
bile,  and  these  processes  are  chemical  and  pro- 
duce heat,  so  we  need  not  be  surprised  to  learn 
that  the  liver  is  the  warmest  part  of  the  body. 

Perhaps  it  would  be  well  to  tell  you  just  here 
the  difference  between  excretion  and  secretion. 
Excretion  is  taking  from  the  blood  materials  which 
are  no  longer  useful,  and  casting  them  out  of  the 
body.  The  kidneys  are  excretory  organs.  Secre- 
tion is  taking  material  from  the  blood  and  making 
out  of  it  a  new  and  useful  material.  The  liver  is 
both  an  excretory  and  secretory  organ. 

Do  you  ask  if  clothes  do  not  make  us  warm  ? 
I  answer  that  they  keep  us  warm  but  they  make 
no  heat.  They  only  retain  the  heat  which  our 
body  makes,  and  the  poorer  conductors  of  heat 
they  are,  the  better  they  will  keep  us  warm. 
Linen  is  a  very  good  conductor  of  heat  and  takes 
it  away  from  the  body  so  fast  that  it  is  not  a  very 
good  article  for  winter  clothing.  Cotton  is  not  so 
good  a  conductor  as  linen,  but  better  than  woolen, 
so  cotton  does  not  keep  us  as  warm  as  woolen. 


THE   HEATING   APPARATUS. 


128 


Our  bodily  temperature  is  about  98  degrees 
Fahrenheit  (that  means  by  the  thermometer 
invented  by  a  man  named  Fahrenheit),  though  it 
varies  somewhat  during  the  day.  As  we  eat  and 
exercise,  the  temperature  of  the  body  rises  and 
reaches  its  greatest  height  between  five  and  eight 
in  the  evening.  While  we  are  quietly  sleeping  it 
falls,  and  is  lowest  from  two  to  six  in  the  morning. 
If  we  sleep  in  the  day  and  work  in  the  night,  this 
will  be  reversed. 

The  skin  is  the  regulator  of  temperature ;  if  we 
get  too  warm,  all  the  little  doors  of  the  skin  are 
opened,  and  water  is  poured  out  on  the  surface  to 
cool  us  off 

A 


A,  Pores  of  the  Skin;  B,  Perspiratory  Ducts;    C,  Perspiratory  Glands;   D  Fat. 


Ocneral    CiTCo^atlof 


124 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

THE   LABORATORY,    MANUFACTORY,   AND    STORE- 
ROOM. 

A  CHEMIST  is  one  who  analyzes  substances,  or 
takes  them  to  pieces  and  finds  out  of  what 
they  are  made.  The  work  of  a  chem.ist  is  done 
in  a  room  called  a  laboratory.  He  does  not  find 
it  difificult  to  take  things  to  pieces,  and  he  can 
unite  many  substances  and  form  new  ones ;  but  he 
has  not  yet  learned  how  to  give  life  to  the  sub- 
stances which  he  forms.  He  may  take  the  elements 
of  the  human  body  in  the  right  proportion  and 
put  them  together,  and  yet  he  will  not  have  a 
living  body.  There  are  vital  processes  as  well  as 
chemical  processes. 

We  know  that  chemical  changes  are  going  on 
in  all  parts  of  the  body  all  the  time,  so  that  the 
whole  body  might  truly  be  called  a  laboratory, 
but  I  have  given  the  name  in  this  chapter  to  one 
especial  organ  which  combines  in  itself  a  chemical 
laboratory,  manufactory,  and  a  store-room.  This 
organ  is   known   as   the   liver.     It   is   the    largest 

organ  in  the  body,  lies  on  the  right  side,  close  up 

125 


126  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

under  the  diaphragm,  and  fastened  to  it   by  Hga- 
ments,  so  that  it  rises  and  falls  with  every  move 
ment  of  the  diaphragm  in  breathing. 

Wonderful  work  goes  on  in  this  organ,  but, 
before  speaking  of  it  more  particularly,  I  shall  be 
obliged  to  tell  you  something  about  the  portal 
circulation.  In  the  chapter  on  the  General  Man- 
ager, we  saw  how  Blood  started  from  the  left  side 
of  the  heart  and  found  her  way  into  the  farthest 


THE    LIVER. 

I     Right  Lobe.         2     Left  Lobe.         3     Gall  Bladder. 

extremities.  All  the  blood  does  not  go  down  to 
the  feet,  but  some  of  it  takes  a  short  cut  across  to 
the  liver  through  a  union  of  intestinal  blood  ves- 
sels, forming  what  is  called  the  portal  circulation. 
Through  this  some  products  of  digestion  go 
directly  to  the  liver  and  pass  through  certain 
changes  before  being  thrown  into  the  circulation. 

A  piece  of  liver  has  no   great  beauty  until  we 
come  to  examine  it   under  the  microscope,  then 


LABORATORY  AXD   STORE-ROOM.  127 


we  find  much  in  its  complicated  structure  to 
admire.  It  consists  of  lobes  which  are  made  up 
of  innumerable  small  lobules,  and  the  veins  wind 
about  these  lobules  and  between  the  lobes,  and 
from  these  numerous  capillaries  are  given  off,  until 
the  whole  looks  almost  like  lace-work.  This  sys- 
tem of  lobules,  capillaries,  and  veins  Is  engaged 
in  a  variety  of  work. 

The  liver  has  the  power  of  changing  into   urea 
the  poisonous  materials  which  are  brought  with 


|,OBUtB  Of  Liver  Mickoscopic&U» 

EXAJUNEO. 


the  blood  and  are  a  result  of  the  breaking  up  of 
tissues  in  all  parts  of  the  body. 

One  of  the  greatest  offices  of  the  liver  is  the 
manufacturing  of  bile,  which  is  secreted  contin- 
ually and  stored  up  in  the  little  reservoir  called 
the  gall-bladder.  During  digestion  the  greatest 
amount  of  bile  is  poured  out,  and  during  fasting  it 


128  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

may  entirely  cease.  A  free  use  of  water  increases 
the  secretion  of  bile.  The  amount  is  also  influ- 
enced by  the  quantity  of  food  we  eat ;  the  largest 
amount  is  made  when  we  eat  flesh  food,  a  less 
amount  with  vegetable  food,  and  a  very  small 
amount  with  pure  fats.  We  learned  much  of  the 
work  of  the  bile  in  the  chapter  on  the  butler's  pantry. 
The  liver  also  makes  what  is  known  as  glycogen, 
a  kind  of  animal  starch.  You  remember  that  all 
starchy  foods  must  be  changed  into  sugar  before 
they  can  be  absorbed,  and  the  liver  takes  this 
sugar,  makes  it  into  glycogen,  and  stores  it  up 
until  needed  for  use  in  the  body,  and  this  is  why 
I  call  it  a  store-room.  The  amount  of  glycogen 
is  increased  by  the  use  of  starchy  foods  or  by 
foods  containing  a  large  amount  of  sugar. 

The  movements  of  the  diaphragm  assist  in  forc- 
ing the  bile  out  into  the  excretory  duct.  A 
relatively  small  amount  of  restraint  will  cause  the 
bile  to  stagnate  in  the  bile  duct,  and  this  fact  is  of, 
importance  when  we  remember  that  the  pressure 
of  tight  clothing  comes  directly  over  the  liver.  It 
must  not  be  forgotten  that  interference  with  the 
formation  of  bile  will  be  an  interference  with  the 
process  of  digestion  and  absorption,  and  will 
therefore  have  a  serious  effect  upon  the  general 
health. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE   HOUSEKEEPER'S    CLOSETS. 

YOU  may  be  a  frequent  and  familiar  guest  in 
a  household  and  feel  free  to  wander  through 
its  various  apartments  at  will.  You  visit  not 
only  the  library  and  the  living  room  as  you  wish, 
but  you  also  go  to  the  dining-room  and  kitchen. 
Perhaps  the  housekeeper  shows  you  with  pride 
her  hnen  closet  and  her  china  closet,  or  the  one 
where  her  canned  fruit  is  stored  ;  but,  in  all  proba- 
bihty,  she  does  not  open  to  your  explorations 
the  closet  where  she  keeps  the  rag-bag  or  the  half 
worn  clothes  she  intends  to  remodel.  There  are 
some  processes  in  her  housekeeping  that  she  pre- 
fers to  keep  to  herself. 

Even  so  in  our  bodily  house  there  are  rooms 
where  work  is  carried  on  which  our  physiologists 
have  not  yet  come  to  understand.  It  is  a  little 
strange,  when  the  body  has  been  studied  tor  so 
many  hundred  years,  that  there  should  remain  any 
part  of  it  not  fully  understood.  Do  you  open  your 
eyes  a  little  when  I  say  so  many  hundred  years, 

thinking  I  must  be  mistaken?     If  I  am,  then  some 

129 


130  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING, 

wiser  people  than  I  are  also  mistaken,  for  Landois 
and  Stirling  in  their  physiology  tell  us  that  Aristo- 
tle said,  three  hundred  and  eighty-four  years 
before  Christ,  that  the  heart  propelled  the  blood 
to  all  parts  of  the  body,  but  it  would  seem  that  he 
did  not  know  that  the  blood  came  back  to  the 
heart,  although  he  named  the  aorta  and  the  venae 
cavae. 

About  300  B,  C.  two  renowned  doctors  gave  the 
arteries  their  names,  thinking  that  they  carried  air 
because  they  were  always  empty  after  death ;  but 
in  131  A.  D.  Galen  contradicted  this  idea  because 
he  found  that  blood  always  flowed  from  a  wounded 
artery.  Michael  Servetus,  whom  Calvin  caused  to 
be  burned  in  1553  A.  D.,  discovered  the  circula- 
tion of  the  blood  in  the  lungs,  and  in  1604,  William 
Harvey  demonstrated  the  complete  circulation  of 
the  blood.  In  Cicero  a  distinction  is  made 
between  venous  and  arterial  blood.  In  1 608,  Borelli 
estimated  the  amount  of  work  done  by  the  heart, 
and  in  1 661,  by  means  of  a  microscope,  Malpighi 
discovered  the  capillaries. 

This  indicates  but  a  small  part  of  the  investi- 
gation of  the  body  during  the  period  previous  to 
the  last  date.  Since  then,  students  of  physiology 
have  been  innumerable ;  the  aids  of  science  have 
vastly  increased,  and  the  functions  of  most  organs 
of  the  body  have  been    watched  and    accurately 


THE  HOUSEKEEPER'S   CLOSETS.  131 

described.  But  there  still  remain  a  few  rooms  in 
the  bodily  house  which  are  as  mysterious  as  those 
to  which  Blue  Beard  gave  Fatima  the  key.  We 
are  not  afraid,  however,  that  they  contain  ghastly 
visions  of  murdered  victims.  These  puzzling 
rooms  arc  not  locked  against  our  entrance ;  the 
doors  are  open  :  we  may  walk  in  and  pry  around 
as  much  as  we  please,  but,  with  all  our  prying,  we 
are  as  yet  only  able  to  guess  what  is  done  therein. 
But  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  they  may  appro- 
priately be  called  the  housekeeper's  closets. 

Two  of  these  rooms  are  located  at  the  back  of 
the  reception  room,  one  on  each  side.  They  are 
called  the  tonsils,  and  ought  not  to  be  visible  ;  how- 
ever they  are  often  so  enlarged  that  they  quite  fill  up 
the  throat  and  may  interfere  with  the  breathing. 
Stohr  says  that  great  quantities  of  white  corpus- 
cles wander  out  of  the  tonsils,  but  he  says  nothing 
of  their  wandering  into  them,  so  we  can  infer  that 
the  tonsils  may  possibly  manufacture  white  blood 
cells. 

At  the  base  of  the  brain  are  little  groups  of  cells 
forming  the  pituitary  body  and  the  pineal  gland. 
Most  of  the  glands  of  the  body  have  ducts  or 
passages  leading  out  of  them,  but  these  rooms, 
which  I  call  the  housekeeper's  closets,  are  known 
as  ductless  glands  because  there  is  no  duct  or 
canal   to  carry  away  whatever  may  be  manufac- 


132  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

tured  in  them.  One  of  these,  the  thyroid  gland, 
consists  of  two  lobes,  one  on  each  side  of  the 
larynx,  connected  by  a  cross-piece.  We  do  not 
know  what  this  gland  does,  but  when  it  is  taken  out 
of  an  animal  we  know  that  the  animal  has  tremors, 
that  there  is  alteration  of  the  motor  power,  difh- 
culty  in  breathing,  degeneration  of  the  connective 
tissue  and  mucous  membrane,  wasting  away  of  all 
the  tissues,  especially  the  muscles,  a  diminution 
of  the  red  corpuscles,  a  great  increase  of  white 
corpuscles,  and  finally,  imbecility  and  death;  so 
we  can  see  that  a  very  important  work  must  be 
done  in  this  little  glandular  closet,  even  though 
we  do  not  understand  it. 

The  thymus  gland  is  another  ductless  gland 
located  partly  in  the  thorax,  and  partly  in  the 
neck.  It  increases  in  size  during  the  first  two  or 
three  years  of  life,  then  remains  stationary  until 
the  tenth  or  fourteenth  year,  when  it  begins  to 
grow  smaller,  and  finally  almost  disappears.  It  is 
supposed  that  it  has  the  functions  of  the  true 
lymph  gland. 

Over  the  top  of  each  kidney  is  fitted  a  little  cap 
called  the  supra-renal  capsule.  It  belongs  with 
the  mysterious  rooms,  and  is  supposed  to  have 
something  to  do  with  regulating  the  amount  of 
pigment  or  coloring  matter  produced  in  the  blood. 
This  is  a  guess  based  upon  the  fact,  that,  when 


THE  HOUSEKEEPER'S    CLOSETS.  133 

they    are    diseased,   the    skin    becomes    brown  in 
color. 

The  largest  and  most  important  of  these  puz- 
zling rooms  is  called  the  spleen.  It  is  located  in 
the  left  side  of  the  abdominal  cavity  above  the 
hip.  Its  structure  is  much  like  that  of  the  sponge. 
It  is  largely  supplied  with  blood  vessels  but  what 
it  does,  physiologists  as  yet  have  not  been  able  to 
decide.  Some  assert  that  when  the  spleen  has 
been  removed,  the  lymphatic  glands  enlarge  and 


THE   SPLEEN. 


the    blood-forming    power  of   the  red    marrow  of 
bones  is  increased. 

I  think  I  did  not  tell  you  about  that  property 
of  the  red  marrow  of  bones.  There  are  two  kinds 
of  marrow  in  bones,  the  red  and  the  yellow ;  the 
yellow  consists  chiefly  of  fat,  and  is  found  princi- 
pally in  the  long  bones  of  the  limbs.     The  cavities 


134  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING, 

inside  the  bones  of  the  head  and  trunk  are  filled 
with  red  marrow  which  has  the  power  of  making 
new  red  blood  corpuscles.  I  think  these  cavities 
in  the  bones  may  properly  be  classed  with  the 
housekeeper's  closets. 

But  to  continue  concerning  the  effects  of  re- 
moving the  spleen.  The  number  of  red  blood 
corpuscles  is  diminished,  the  white  ones  are  in- 
creased in  number,  while  the  lymphatic  glands, 
especially  those  of  the  neck,  increase  in  size. 
The  experiment  would  seem  to  indicate  that  the 
spleen  makes  white  blood  corpuscles  and  destroys 
red  ones.  After  a  meal,  the  spleen  increases  in 
size,  and  is  usually  largest  about  five  hours  after 
digestion  has  begun,  and  this  probably  has  some 
relation  to  the  manufacture  of  white  corpuscles. 
There  is  a  relation  between  the  spleen  and  the 
liver,  for  it  is  found  that  when  the  spleen  con- 
tracts, the  liver  enlarges.  It  is  observed  also 
that  depressing  emotions,  such  as  grief  or  sorrow, 
increase  the  size  of  the  spleen,  while  the  exhila- 
rating emotions  diminish  it,  so  there  may  pos- 
sibly be  a  real  connection  between  the  irritable 
mental  condition  of  a  person,  which  we  some- 
times speak  of  as  splenetic,  and  the  state  of  the 
spleen. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE   ELECTRICAL   APPARATUS. 

THE  brain,  as  we  have  learned,  is  a  busy  work- 
shop, and  here  is  located  the  telegraph  office 
through  which  Man  sends  messages  to  all  parts  of 
the  house.  The  brain  cells  are  the  electric  bat- 
teries, and  the  nerves  are  the  telegraph  wires. 
You  will  remember  that  the  spinal  column  is  made 
of  twenty-six  bones,  with  a  hole  in  the  center  of 
each.  These  placed  one  over  the  other  make  a 
long  tube,  and  in  this  tube  runs  a  cord  made  of 
white  and  gray  matter  like  the  brain,  only  the 
position  is  reversed,  the  gray  being  on  the  inside 
and  the  white  outside.  A  college  student  once 
defined  the  spinal  cord  as  **  the  cord  the  vertebrae 
are  strung  on,"  which  was  not  a  very  bad  defini- 
tion after  all. 

It  is  calculated  that  there  are  as  many  as  nine 
hundred  millions  of  the  little  cells  in  the  brain, 
which  generate  the  nervous  fluid  that  corre- 
sponds to  the  electricity  of  the  telegraph ;  and  in 
the  spine  are  other  cells  which  we  may  call 
branch  batteries. 

135 


136  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

From  the  brain  twelve  pairs  of  nerve-cables 
start  out  to  carry  the  messages  to  the  eye,  the 
ear,  the  nose  and  other  parts  in  the  region  of  the 
head.  From  the  spinal  cord  thirty-one  pairs  go 
to  all  parts  of  the  body.  These  nerves  form  what 
is  called  the  cerebro-spinal  nervous  system,  be- 
cause it  originates  both  in  the  brain  and  spinal 
cord. 

In  the  chapter  on  the  general  office  we  studied 
the  structure  of  the  nerves  ;  now  we  will  learn  what 
they  do.  Nerve  fibers  of  the  cerebro-spinal 
system  are  of  two  kinds — those  of  motion  and 
those  of  sensation,  and  one  never  does  the  work  of 
the  other.  A  knot  of  nerve  cells  collected  to- 
gether is  called  a  ganglion;  the  brain  is  a  collec- 
tion of  these  ganglia,  and  in  them  is  generated  the 
nerve  force.  There  are  also  ganglia  in  the  spine 
which  transmit  and  in  some  way  modify  the  mes- 
sages sent  from  the  brain. 

When  we  study  the  brain,  we  find  that  its  vari- 
ous parts  have  each  a  special  work  to  do.  Certain 
parts  have  nothing  to  do  with  motion,  but  are 
centers  for  sensation  or  for  special  senses,  as  sight 
and  hearing.  Other  parts  of  the  brain  have  to  do 
with  motion  only,  and  these  are  found  in  what  is 
called  the  motor  area  of  the  brain.  The  motor 
area  has  lately  been  carefully  studied,  and  we  have 
learned    to    know  through  just  what  part  of   the 


THE   ELECTRICAL   APPARATUS.  137 

brain  messages  are  sent  to  move  the  various  parts 
of  the  body.  Thus  we  have  learned  that  one  part 
of  the  brain  governs  the  movements  of  the  arms, 
another  those  of  the  legs,  another  the  muscular 
movements  of  the  face. 


MOTOR  AREAS  OF  THE  BRAIN. 


We  know,  too,  that  the  fibers  of  the  nerves  cross 
from  side  to  side  of  the  brain  to  the  opposite  side 
of  the  spinal  cord,  so  that  the  right  brain  governs 
the  movements  of  the  left  side  of  the  body  and 
vice  versa;  an  injury  to  one  side  of  the  brain  will 
affect  the  opposite  side  of  the  body.  This  is  very 
important  in  surgery,  and  to  show  you  what  skill 
physicians  have  gained  in  locating  the  cause  of  a 
difficulty,  I  will  quote  from  a  case  reported  in  the 
records  of  the  Philadelphia  Orthopedic  Hospital :  — 
A  young  girl  had  fits  of  epilepsy ;  she  said  in  the 
beginning  of  each  attack  that  she  suffered   in  the 


138  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

right  thumb.  As  the  difficulty  was  of  nervous 
origin  the  doctors  thought  they  would  see  if  tak- 
ing out  that  part  of  the  brain  which  governs  the 
motion  of  the  thumb  would  cure  the  disease.  As 
she  was  a  mill  girl,  and  it  was  very  important  that 
the  use  of  her  hand  should  be  preserved  as  far  as 
possible,  they  were  anxious  to  remove  only  so 
much  of  the  brain  as  governed  the  movement  of 
the  thumb. 

They  opened  the  skull  just  over  the  part  where 
they  knew  the  nerve-center  that  governs  the  thumb 
is  located,  and  cut  out  a  piece  of  the  brain  about 
half  an  inch  in  diameter.  By  the  use  of  an  electric 
battery  they  decided  that  they  had  removed  all  of 
the  brain  that  influenced  the  thumb,  and  judged 
that  they  had  taken  out  all  that  was  diseased.  She 
recovered  promptly  and  with  perfect  control  of  all 
the  muscles  of  the  shoulder,  elbow,  wrist  and  hand, 
but  not  those  of  the  thumb.  Every  one  of  those 
were  paralyzed.  Now  remember  that  only  one- 
half  inch  of  the  brain  was  removed,  yet  the 
muscles  of  the  thumb  cover  a  good  deal  of  space. 
One  lies  in  the  ball  of  the  thumb ;  one  between 
thumb  and  fore-finger  ;  one  in  front  of  the  forearm 
reaching  almost  to  the  elbow,  and  three  on  the 
back  of  the  forearm  extending  half-way  from  wrist 
to  elbow.  But  the  most  wonderful  thing  in  regard 
to  this  operation   I  have  yet  to  tell  you.      It  was 


THE  ELECTRICAL   APPARATUS.  139 

performed  in  October,  1891  ;  by  June,  1892,  she 
had  regained  the  entire  use  of  her  thumb,  which 
would  seem  to  indicate  that  in  this  case  new 
brain  cells  were  formed. 

Surgeons  have  also  learned  to  locate  the  center 
of  speech,  written  or  spoken.  Dr.  McEwen  relates 
the  case  of  a  Scotch  Presbyterian  who,  after  an 
injury  to  his  head,  suffered  with  "  mind  blindness." 
That  is  to  say,  his  eyes  were  not  injured,  but  he 
could  not  understand  what  he  saw.  He  could  see 
his  well-worn  New  Testament  before  him  but  com- 
prehended nothing  of  what  it  meant,  nor  could  he 
read  the  well-known  words.  A  surgeon  removed 
a  small  piece  of  bone  from  the  skull  and  found  a 
small  tumor  pressing  in  that  part  of  the  brain 
which  governs  the  center  of  written  speech.  Upon 
removing  the  tumor  the  man  was  entirely  cured. 

We  are  told  by  these  scientific  investigators  that 
the  area  of  spoken  words  is  on  the  left  side  of  the 
head  unless  the  individual  is  left-handed,  when  this 
area  is  on  the  right  side.  Right-handed  people, 
therefore,  talk  with  the  left  side  of  the  brain. 

The  cerebrum  is  the  center  of  motion,  speech, 
thought  and  feeling.  The  small  brain,  or  cerebel- 
lum, regulates  movements. 

When  an  order  is  sent  from  the  brain  for  the 
arms  or  limbs  to  move,  it  must  go  through  a 
motor  cell  of  the  spinal  cord,  and   from  there  be 


140  OUR    BODILY  DWELLING. 

re- transmitted.  It  seems  as  if  the  orders  from  the 
general  of^ce  must  be  repeated  at  these  Httle  way 
stations  to  insure  their  being  dehvered  at  the 
right  point;  and  messages  of  sensation  which  are 
sent  from  the  surface  of  the  body  to  the  brain 
must  also  pass  through  the  repeating  stations  in 
the  spinal  cord. 

We  know  that  we  can  feel  even  when  we  do 
not  see,  so  we  can  easily  remember  that  the 
nerves  of  sensation  pass  out  from  the  back  of 
the  spinal  cord  ;  but  if  we  want  to  act,  we  need 
to  see,  so  we  remember  that  the  nerves  of  motion 
come  from  the  front  of  the  cord. 

When  we  see  how  quickly  a  motion  is  made, 
after  we  have  willed  to  make  it,  we  can  but 
wonder  how  fast  the  nervous  current  travels.  If 
your  hand  were  on  a  hot  stove,  a  message  would 
be  sent  to  the  brain  that  the  hand  was  being 
burned,  then  a  message  would  be  sent  back  to  the 
hand  to  take  itself  away  from  the  stove,  but  it 
would  all  be  done  so  quickly  you  could  scarcely 
believe  that  two  messages  had  passed  over  the 
nerves  before  you  moved.  It  is  calculated  that  a 
nerve-impulse  travels  at  the  rate  of  one  hundred 
and  ten  feet  per  second.  Therefore  a  message 
from  the  toes  to  the  brain  would  require  one- 
twentieth  of  a  second,  and  the  return  message  the 
same  length  of  time ;    so  if  the  feet  were  hurt,  it 


THE  ELECTRICAL   APPARATUS.  141 


could  not  report  the  injury  to  the  general  office 
and  receive  a  message  in  response  until  at  least 
one-tenth  of  a  second  had  passed. 

Perhaps  you  have  sometimes  thought  you  would 
like  to  be  a  telegraph  operator,  and  here  you  have 
been  one  all  your  life  but  didn't  know  it.  More 
than  that,  you  not  only  operate,  but  you  own  the 
whole  line.  Some  of  the  messages  which  you 
send  or  receive  you  forget  at  once,  and  some  you 
file  and  put  away  in  another  part  of  the  brain, 
which  we  will  study  as  the  library. 

I  watched  the  head  clerk  in  the  office  of  a 
hotel  the  other  day ;  he  received  the  travelers  who 
came,  had  them  register  their  names,  assigned 
them  rooms,  and  sent  their  baggage  up  after 
them.  He  ordered  the  call  boys  to  answer  the 
bells,  he  heard  complaints,  made  out  the  bills, 
took  in  the  money,  and  received  telegrams.  He 
quieted  an  angry  man,  and  stirred  up  a  lazy  boy. 
He  was  thinking  of  everything;  controlling  and 
managing  everything;  and  I  said,  "How  much 
this  is  like  Man  in  his  great  central  brain-office. 
He  sends  and  receives  messages ;  he  registers 
guests ;  he  thinks,  plans,  orders,  executes ;  and 
what  is  strangest  of  all,  he  perhaps  does  not  know 
that  he  is  doing  anything  at  all  remarkable. 


CHAPTER   XXL 

THE    WONDERFUL    CLOCK. 

IN  the  great  World's  Fair  at  Vienna,  Austria,  in 
1873,  I  saw  a  clock  that  would  run  ten  years 
without  winding.  It  marked  the  seconds,  minutes, 
and  hours  ;  the  day,  week,  and  month ;  the  year 
and  changes  of  the  moon,  and  I  cannot  tell  you 
how  many  other  things  besides.  I  thought  that 
this  was  the  most  wonderful  clock  I  had  ever 
heard  of,  but  yesterday  I  heard  of  a  clock  that 
runs  by  electricity  and  regulates  and  winds  itself ; 
and,  now  that  I  come  to  think  of  it,  I  see  that  this 
is  only  patterning  after  the  marvelous  clock  of  our 
wonderful  house.  This  is  wound  up  at  the  begin- 
ning of  life,  and  runs  on  till  life's  close,  kept  in 
motion  and  regulated  by  the  electric  nerve  force. 
Its  measures  of  time  are  not  the  same  as  we  have 
in  our  watches,  and  each  individual  house  has  its 
own  time.  The  generality  of  mankind  keep  nearly 
the  same  bodily  time,  and  that  has  created  what 
we  may  call  a  standard  time  :  but  each  individual 
may  vary  from  the  standard  and  yet  be  all  right. 
This  wonderful  clock  we  call  the  sympathetic 
142 


THE    WONDERFUL    CLOCK.  143 

nervous  system.  We  have  seen  that  the  cerebro- 
spinal nervous  system  governs  voluntary  muscles. 
The  sympathetic  nerves  govern  involuntary  muscles, 
and  these  are  located  inside  the  body.  This 
nervous  system  is  made  up  of  ganglia,  about  fifty 
in  number,  located  in  the  cavity  of  the  body  on 
each  side  of  the  spinal  column.  They  are  united 
by  nerve  fibers  passing  from  one  to  the  other ; 
some  fibers  also  pass  to  the  spinal  nerves,  so  that 
the  two  systems  are  in  a  way  connected.  The 
fibers  from  these  ganglia  form  networks  in  various 
parts  of  the  cavities  of  the  body,  and  each  net- 
work is  called  a  plexus.  The  great  plexus,  which 
lies  in  the  abdominal  cavity,  is  sometimes  spoken 
of  as  the  abdominal  brain.  The  cranial  brain  is 
the  seat  of  consciousness  and  thought.  The 
abdominal  brain  presides  over  the  functions  of  the 
organs  of  the  body.  It  takes  charge  of  secretion  ; 
it  controls  and  manages  nourishment;  it  receives 
sensations  and  transmits  motions  without  consult- 
ing the  head  clerk  in  the  central  ofBce ;  it  controls 
the  size  and  tone  of  the  blood  vessels ;  it  sends 
orders  to  the  liver,  causing  it  to  manufacture  bile 
and  glycogen,  and  excrete  urea.  It  may  send 
such  violent  orders  to  the  intestines  that,  in  their 
haste  to  obey,  they  contract  with  so  much  force  as 
to  cause  pain  or  a  very  rapid  action  of  the  bowels. 
If  this  abdominal  brain  gets  excited,  it  may  order 


144 


OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 


the  sweat  glands  to  pour  out  such  a  quantity  of 
water  that  the  person  is  bathed  in  perspiration. 
This  brain  we  call  the  solar  plexus. 

The  different  ganglia  of  the  sympathetic  nervous 


SYMFATHETIC   NERVE   OF  THE   ABDOMEN. 


system  may  each  be  called  a  little  brain.  These 
ganglia  are  found  everywhere  in  the  viscera  and 
are  known  as  automatic  motor  centers.  Those 
located  in  the  heart  cause  it  to  beat, 

"  Keeping  time,  time,  time, 
In  a  sort  of  Runic  rhyme," 


THE    WONDERFUL    CLOCK.  145 

not  in  unison  with  the  passing  seconds,  but  a  little 
faster,  about  seventy-two  times  in  a  minute. 

In  the  intestines  the  automatic  motor  ganglia 
keep  up  a  rhythmic  motion  which  we  call  peris- 
talsis, moving  the  contents  along.  The  lungs 
have  their  rhythm,  filling  and  emptying  eighteen 
or  twenty  times  a  minute.  Dr.  Byron  Robinson 
says  the  liver  has  also  a  rhythm,  enlarging 
with  influx  of  blood  during  digestion,  and  re- 
turning to  normal  size  during  rest.  He  finds 
that  the  spleen  works  according  to  rythmic  time 
in  the  same  way  as  the  liver,  and  so  do  the 
pancreas  and  kidneys. 

Is  not  this  a  wonderful  clock  that  marks  off  the 
functions  of  the  body  in  regular  beats,  some  fast, 
some  slow,  some  oftener  than  once  a  second,  some 
not  oftener  than  once  a  month?  And  as  this  is 
not  under  the  control  of  our  will,  we  must  think 
that  the  divine  Architect  himself  made  it,  wound 
it  up,  set  it  in  motion,  and  governs  it  by  his  own 
power. 

O  wonderful  clock  of  our  earthly  life, 

That  beats  from  our  birth  to  death, 
That  marks  the  pulsing  of  our  hearts, 

The  flowing  of  our  breath  : 
God  holds  the  key  in  His  own  right  hand 

And  watches  thy  pendulum  swing; 
He  turns  the  hands  as  the  pulses  beat, 

Himself  holds  the  strong  mainspring; 
And  our  life  shall  beat  at  His  royal  word. 

And  shall  end  as  His  will  shall  be; 
But  the  life  of  the  soul  shall  pulse  on  and  on 

Throughout  eternity. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

REGULATOR   AND    MAINSPRING. 

IF  you  open  your  watch  so  that  you  can  look  at 
the  works,  you  will  see  a  little  pointer  that 
moves  along  the  scale  of  an  arc,  at  the  end  of 
which  is  the  letter  F,  which  stands  for  fast ;  at  the 
other  end  the  letter  S,  for  slow.  By  moving  this 
pointer  towards  one  or  the  other,  the  watch  is 
made  to  run  faster  or  slower. 

Our  wonderful  clock  has  a  regulator  located  in 
the  back  part  of  the  general  of^ce.  It  is  called 
the  cerebelltcm,  or  little  brain.  Like  the  cerebrum, 
or  great  brain,  it  is  composed  of  white  and  gray 
matter,  and  the  two  divisions  of  the  brain  are 
connected  by  the  Pofis  Varolii.  We  can  move 
the  regulators  of  our  watches  back  and  forth  and 
yet  really  have  no  idea  how  any  change  is  effected. 
And  I  am  compelled  to  tell  you  that  we  are  as  yet 
somewhat  ignorant  of  wnat  the  cerebellum  does, 
but  it  is  generally  admitted  that  it  controls, 
regulates, — co-ordinates,  physiologists  say, — the 
movements  of  voluntary  muscles.  Experiments 
prove  that  it  is  not  an  organ  of  thought,  feeling, 

14C 


REGULATOR   AND  MAINSPRING. 


147 


or  motion,  like  the  great  brain  ;  but  its  importance 
is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  its  convolutions  are 
deeper,  so  that  there  is  a  greater  proportion  of 
gray  matter,  and  that,  we  learned,  is  the  important 
nerve  substance. 

When  we  cannot  find  out  just  what  the  healthy 
organ    does,  we   study  what  effect  is  produced   by 


The  LltUe  Bralq 
(CerebrUuJi). 


The  Otlonc  Marrow 
iUtdulla  ObUmaatai 


disease  or  injury  of  the  organ.  If  the  cerebellum 
is  entirely  removed  from  a  pigeon,  the  bird  dies. 
If  only  the  superficial  layer  is  removed,  the  bird 
becomes  weak  and  its  movements  are  not  uniform. 
If  a  still  greater  part  is  taken  away,  the  move- 
ments become  more  irregular  and  violent,  the  bird 
cannot  fly  or  spring  or  walk  perfectly.  Its  will  is 
not  affected,  but  it  seems  not  to  have  the  power 
of  doing  what  it  wants  to  do.     When  the  deeper 


148  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

layers  of  the  cerebellum  are  removed,  it  cannot 
fly  or  turn  or  walk  at  all.  If  placed  on  its  back, 
it  cannot  get  upon  its  legs.  It  will  try  very  hard 
to  do  the  things  it  has  been  accustomed  to  do,  but 
all  to  no  purpose.  The  limbs  move,  but  anyhow 
and  everyhow.  It  can  see  and  hear ;  it  has  intel- 
ligence ;  it  tries  to  avoid  obstacles ;  but  all  its 
efforts  are  ineffectual ;  apparently  because  it 
cannot  regulate  its  movements  and  make  its 
muscles  work  together. 

When  we  remember  how  many  muscles  may  be 
used  in  making  single,  simple  movements,  we  can 
understand  that  there  must  be  some  power  that 
will  regulate  the  nerve  force  sent  to  those  muscles, 
so  that  they  will  work  in  harmony  without  our 
thinking  about  it.  For  instance,  it  takes  six 
particular  movements  and  calls  into  play  a  dozen 
or  more  muscles,  to  take  one  step  in  walking.  It 
would  be  impossible  for  us  to  manage  all  that 
machinery  by  the  will,  to  send  the  various 
messages  to  just  the  right  point  to  flex  the  leg, 
move  it  forward,  straighten  the  knee,  lift  the  heel, 
rest  on  the  toe,  bring  the  other  leg  forward,  and 
repeat  those  at  every  step.  We  learn  to  do  this 
very  slowly,  carefully,  and  imperfectly,  at  first. 
See  the  baby  learning  to  walk.  He  does  not 
succeed  in  making  all  the  muscles  work  harmoni- 
ously together,  but  after  a  time  the  muscles  get 


REGULATOR  AND  MAINSPRING.  149 

trained,  the  cerebellum  takes  control  of  the  nerve 
force,  and  walking  becomes  automatic — that  is,  we 
will  to  walk,  and  after  that,  the  muscles  do  it  them- 
selves. But,  as  we  have  seen  by  the  experiments 
made  on  the  pigeon,  the  muscles  could  not  do  it, 
no  matter  how  much  we  willed  it,  if  the  cerebellum 
did  not  take  charge  of  matters  and  act  as  a 
regulator. 

And  now  we  will  talk  of  the  mainspring,  which 
is  the  name  I  give  to  the  medulla  oblongata; 
those  two  words  mean  the  oblong  marrow.     We 


MEDULLA  OBLONGATA. 


know  how  very  important  the  mainspring  of  a 
watch  is,  or  at  least  we  find  out  when  it  is  broken. 
Then  the  watch  stops  and  will  not  <go  until  a  new 
mainspring  is  put  in.     Unfortunately  for  us,  when 


150  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

our  bodily  mainspring  is  broken,  our  wonderful 
clock  stops  forever ;  we  can  never  get  a  new 
spring.  For  that  reason,  the  center  of  the  medulla 
oblongata  is  called  the  vital  knot,  for  injury  to 
that  stops  all  the  machinery,  and  Man  suddenly 
moves  out  of  his  bodily  dwelling  to  live  in  it  no 
more. 

The  medulla  oblongata  is  composed  of  white 
and  gray  matter,  and  is  rather  pyramidal  in  shape, 
the  base  being  upward.  It  really  may  be  called 
an  enlargement  of  the  spinal  cord.  It  is  about  an 
inch  and  a  quarter  long,  three  fourths  of  an  inch 
wide,  and  half  an  inch  thick ;  so  you  see  that  it 
does  not  require  a  very  big  space  to  contain  the 
vital  knot.  You  will  be  able  to  judge  of  its  loca- 
tion, by  remembering  that  it  unites  the  brain  and 
spinal  cord.  In  the  medulla,  a  part  of  the  nerve 
fibers  of  one  side  of  the  brain  cross  over  to  govern 
the  other  side  of  the  body ;  'some  of  them  cross  in 
the  cord  itself,  and  some  in  the  pons  varolii. 

The  books  say  that  the  medulla  is  the  center  of 
reflex  influences,  and  I  think  we  have  said  nothing 
about  these.  When  I  told  you  how  long  it  takes 
for  a  message  to  go  from  an  injured  foot  to  the 
brain  and  the  return  message  to  be  sent,  you 
perhaps  thought  it  certainly  could  not  take  so 
long,  for,  if  your  hand  or  foot  were  hurt,  you 
jerked    it    away  before    you    thought.     That  was 


REGULATOR  AND   MAINSPRING.  151 

true,  but  it  was  not  because  the  message  traveled 
faster  than  I  said,  but  because  there  are  in  the 
spinal  cord  and  in  the  medulla,  some  nerve  centers 
that  do  not  wait  for  commands  from  the  brain 
before  they  send  messages  over  the  motor  nerves 
to  the  muscles.  The  messages  from  the  injured 
part  reach  some  of  these  nerve  centers,  perhaps  in 
the  spinal  cord,  and  they  send  the  messages  to 
take  the  hand  or  foot  away,  and  it  is  really  done 
before  the  brain  has  received  word  that  any  harm 
is  threatened. 

The  movements  resulting  from  these  reflex 
influences  we  call  reflex  movements,  and  certain 
of  them  originate  in  the  nerve  centers  of  the 
medulla.  Sudden  winking  to  protect  the  eye  from 
injury  is  controlled  by  the  medulla,  and  is  a  reflex 
act.  Sneezing  is  also  a  reflex  act ;  we  cannot 
produce  a  real  sneeze  at  will,  but  if  something 
irritates  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  nose,  a 
message  to  that  effect  is  sent  to  the  brain,  and  on 
its  way  passes  through  the  medulla.  The  reflex 
nerve  centers  there  located  send  back  word  to  the 
muscles  of  expiration  to  put  the  offender  out,  even 
though  we  should  be  in  church  or  in  some  very 
solemn  place.  Coughing,  swallowing,  and  vomit- 
ing, are  all  reflex  acts  governed  by  the  nerves  of 
the  medulla. 

The  cerebro-spinal  and  the  sympathetic  nervous 


152  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

systems  are  closely  united,  so,  by  the  action  of  the 
cerebro-spinal  nerves,  we  can,  by  our  wills,  govern 
some  things  to  a  certain  point.  Then  the  sympa- 
thetic system  takes  control,  and  our  will  is  set 
aside.  This  is  the  case  with  breathing.  The 
lungs  are  mechanically  self-adjusting  through  the 
nerve  centers  of  the  medulla  and  breathing  is 
really  a  reflex  act.  Taking  in  the  breath  stimu- 
lates the  fibers  which  act  reflexly  on  the  nerve 
centers  governing  the  breathing  out;  and  lessening 
the  size  of  the  lungs  in  breathing  out  acts  reflexly 
on  the  nerves  which  govern  the  breathing-in 
muscles,  and  so  the  lungs  keep  continually  at 
work. 

Is  it  not  marvelous  that  so  small  an  organ  as 
the  medulla  oblongata  can  have  such  a  wonderful 
controlling  power  over  the  various  organs  of  the 
body,  keeping  them  moving  in  time  and  tune  so 
that  there  will  be  no  discord  in  the  song  of  life? 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 


SPECIAL   WATCHMEN. 


WHEN  a  man  owns  an  elegant  mansion,  he 
is  often  not  satisfied  with  the  guard  kept 
over  it  by  the  regular  police,  but  employs  special 
watchmen.  Our  bodily  house  has  five  such 
watchmen,  called  special  senses,  named :  Sight, 
Hearing,  Smell,  Taste  and  Touch.  We  have 
already  studied  these  under  other  titles ;  we  must 
now  learn  how  they  are  special  guards  protecting 
us  from  danger. 

Sight  dwells  in  the  eye,  and  we  can  readily  see 
how  he  is  a  protection.  If  you  have  ever  seen  a 
blind  man  walking  alone  through  the  streets  of  a 
city,  you  have  been  impressed  by  the  dangers 
with  which  he  is  surrounded :  the  people,  the 
gutters,  the  street-crossings,  the  teams,  the  open 
cellar-doors,  and  the  lamp-posts  are  all  possible 
causes  of  injury  which  he  can  avoid  only  by  care- 
fully feeling  his  way  with  his  cane;  but  you,  with 
your  quick,  keen  eyes,  can  run  through  the 
crowded  thoroughfares,  avoiding  the  open  doors, 
dodging  the  teams,  jumping  over  the  gutters,  and 

153 


154  OUR    BODILY  DWELLING. 

go  four  blocks  while  he  is  warily  picking  his  way 
across  one. 

The  special  nerve  of  sight  is  the  Optic  nerve. 

Hearing  is  also  a  great  protection  against  dan- 
gers which  come  from  places  where  man  cannot 
see.  These  messages  pass  over  the  Auditory 
nerve.  If  danger  is  approaching  from  the  rear, 
man  may  be  warned  by  his  ears.  It  is  not  quite 
as  unsafe  for  the  deaf  man  to  go  about  alone  as  it 
is  for  the  blind  man,  and  yet  he  is  in  great  danger. 
He  does  not  hear  the  runaway  horses  that  are 
dashing  upon  him,  or  the  whistle  of  the  train,  or 
the  bell  of  the  electric  street-car,  and  so  may 
be  killed  even  though  he  has  the  sense  of  sight. 
People  sometimes  ask  each  other  whether  they 
would  rather  be  blind  or  deaf.  Each  condition 
has  its  inconveniences  and  perils,  and  each  its 
compensations.  The  blind  man  cannot  see  his 
friends ;  cannot  read  the  ordinary  printed  page ; 
cannot  enjoy  the  sunset  or  landscape ;  but  he  can 
hear  the  voices  of  people  and  the  songs  of  birds ; 
can  listen  to  the  lecture  or  the  concert,  even 
though  it  be  in  darkness ;  and  with  his  fingers,  by 
the  aid  of  his  friend  Touch,  can  learn  to  read  the 
raised  printing  made  especially  for  the  blind. 
The  deaf  man  can  see  all  the  beauties  of  nature 
and  art;  can  walk  unattended;  can  read  books 
and    papers;    but    cannot    hear.      Did    you    ever 


SPECIAL    WATCHMEN. 


155 


think  what  it  would  be  to  live  in  a  world  without 
sound;  to  see  life  in  all  its  activities  pass  like  a 
panorama  before  you  ;  to  see  people  laugh,  and 
not  know  what  they  are  laughing  at ;  to  see 
people  talk,  and  not  know  what  they  are  talking 
about  ?  It  must  be  a  great  trial  and  I  wonder  at 
the  patience  of  the  deaf  people,  and  feel  that  we 
have  not  half  the  sympathy  with  them  that  we 
should  have. 


We  learned  of  Taste  when  we  were  introduced 
to  him  as  the  guard  in  a  pink  sentry  box  stationed 
in   the   reception   room.      His   position   is   one   of 


156  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

great  responsibility,  but  he  is  not  always  to  be 
entirely  relied  upon.  He  can  be  taught  to  be  very 
fond  of  hurtful  things  and  to  admit  into  the  house 
guests  that  are  determined  to  do  great  injury. 
The  electric  wire  connecting  the  sentry  box  with 
the  general  office  is  called  the  Gustatory  nerve. 
On  the  tongue  are  little  points  called  papillae,  in 
which  Taste  especially  dwells.  Objects  to  be 
tasted  must  be  dissolved  either  in  water  or  in  the 
fluids  of  the  mouth. 

It  is  rather  queer  that  some  things  taste  differ- 
ent on  the  tip  of  the  tongue  from  what  they  do  on 
the  back  of  the  tongue  ;  for  example  :  alum  tastes 
sour  on  the  tip  and  sweet  on  the  back  of  the 
tongue ;  sulphate  of  sodium  tastes  salty  on  the 
tip  and  bitter  on  the  back.  If  Taste  were  left  to 
his  own  uneducated  sense,  it  is  quite  doubtful  if 
he  would  ever  admit  to  the  house  any  very  salty, 
fiery  or  bitter  visitors;  but  if  often  introduced  to 
them,  he  after  a  time  begins  to  tolerate  them  and 
ends  by  liking  them,  and  then  his  judgment  as  a 
guard  is  impaired.  It  should  be  our  aim  to  allow 
him  to  become  acquainted  only  with  those  who 
visit  us  with  motives  of  helpfulness,  and  of  these 
we  shall  speak  when  we  interview  the  guests  of 
Man  in  his  bodily  house. 

Smell,  another  special  watchman,  resides  in  the 
porch   of   the    nose,    in    the   lining,    which,   as   we 


SPECIAL    WATCHMEN.  157 

learned,  is  called  the  Schneiderian  membrane. 
He  can  be  trained  to  great  acuteness,  or  he  can 
be  very  dull  and  unreliable.  In  the  savage,  the 
source  of  smell  becomes  a  great  source  of  infor- 
mation, as  it  is  in  many  animals.  Humboldt  says 
that  certain  South  American  Indians  can  smell  a 
stranger  in  the  dark,  and  tell  whether  he  is  white 
or  black.     It  is  very  important  that  a  cook  should 


6tPA0TORV   NCRvT 


aRAMONCS   o* 

OLrAOToav  (icavv 


have  the  keen  sense  of  smell  in  order  to  judge  of 
the  quality  and  condition  of  foods,  and  also  to 
know  whether  things  on  the  stove  are  burning. 

The  special  nerve  of  smell  is  called  the  Olfac- 
tory nerve.  When  irritating  substances  are  taken 
into  the  nose,  its  nerves  of  sensation  are  aroused, 
and  they  report  to  the  general  office ;  orders  are 
given  and  the  offender  is  sent  out  with  a  noise  we 


158  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

call  sneezing,  so  that  these  nerves  of  sensation  are 
also  special  watchmen.  The  sense  of  smell  gives 
us  enjoyment  as  well  as  protection.  It  delights 
in  the  odor  of  flowers  and  perfumes,  and  the 
pleasure  of  eating  is  increased  by  the  odor  of 
food. 

One  special  purpose  of  smell  is  to  warn  us 
against  bad  air.  Does  our  good  fairy  Aura 
ever  get  naughty  ?  Aura  is  quite  like  people ; 
she  becomes  bad  by  keeping  bad  company.  As 
long  as  she  is  associated  with  good  company  she 
brings  only  pure  and  enjoyable  odors  to  the  sense 
of  smell ;  but  when  she  mingles  with  disreputable 
members  of  the  Gas  family,  she  brings  to  the 
house  some  guests  that  make  Smell  feel  inclined 
to  shut  the  door  in  her  face ;  and  if  he  makes  a 
loud  enough  complaint  to  the  central  ofhce,  Man 
hears  and  sets  matters  right  by  moving  his  quar- 
ters, or  by  sending  Aura's  bad  companions  where 
they  cannot  come  into  the  house.  If  man  pays 
no  attention  to  the  complaint.  Smell  gets  tired  of 
grumbling,  and  Aura  may  take  with  her  into  the 
laundry  a  good  many  guests  who  themselves 
badly  need  washing,  and  we  have  no  arrangements 
for  washing  outside  tramps ;  the  laundry  is 
arranged  only  for  the  purpose  of  attending  to  the 
members  of  our  own  household,  so  it  is  quite 
important  that  we  heed  the  first  warning  of  Smell 


SPECIAL    WATCHMEN.  169 


when  he  reports  that  Aura  is  coming  in  with 
undesirable  visitors. 

The  last  of  our  special  watchmen  is  Touch,  and 
he  resides  in  what  are  called  the  tactile  corpuscles 
of  the  nerves  of  sensation.  How  much  our  physi- 
ologists delight  in  big  words  !  But  I  don't  begin 
to  tell  you  half  the  long  words  they  use,  for  I 
don't  want  to  frighten  you  away  from  the  study  of 
your  wonderful  house. 

You  remember  that  the  nerves  of  sensation 
carry  messages  from  the  outside  of  the  body  to 
the  brain.  By  them  we  learn  the  form  of  sub- 
stances, their  hardness,  smoothness,  and  tempera- 
ture. If  the  nerves  are  unpleasantly  impressed  at 
any  time,  they  report  at  once  to  Man,  and  so  warn 
him  of  danger,  and  this  warning  we  call  pain. 
Thus  we  see  that  Pain,  instead  of  being  an  enemy, 
is  one  of  our  best  friends,  and  whenever  we  feel 
pain,  we  should  remember  that  it  is  a  kindly 
warning.  Some  people  act  as  if  Pain  were  a  foe 
who  must  be  silenced  at  any  cost,  so  they  do  all 
they  possibly  can  to  make  him  keep  still.  The 
wiser  plan  is  to  learn,  if  possible,  what  it  is  that 
makes  him  cry  out  and  then  remove  the  cause. 
If  it  were  not  for  Pain  warning  us  of  danger,  we 
might  be  so  seriously  injured  before  we  knew  what 
was  being  done,  that  there  would  be  no  way  to 
cure  the  injury.     It  seems  hard  that  the  dear  little 


160  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

baby  should  be  hurt  when  he  falls,  or  burned 
by  the  fire,  or  cut  by  the  knife ;  but  by  these 
methods  Pain  is  teaching  him  to  be  careful,  and 
to  guard  himself  against  danger. 

Some  physiologists  tell  us  of  a  muscular  sense 
which,  they  say,  indicates  the  condition  of  the 
muscles  themselves ;  judges  of  weight  of  objects 
and  the  amount  of  power  needed  to  overcome  the 
resistance ;  enables  us  to  walk  straight  with  our 
eyes  shut  or  to  carry  parcels  in  our  arms  without 
dropping  them. 

Other  authors  claim  that  all  this  is  obtained 
through  the  brain  and  not  through  any  special 
sense  located  in  the  muscles. 

While  they  are  discussing  and  disagreeing,  we 
will  go  on  lifting  weights,  counting  coins,  carrying 
bundles,  running  and  walking  with  our  eyes  open 
or  shut,  just  as  if  we  were  absolutely  certain 
whether  it  is  muscular  sense  or  brain  power  that 
enables  us  to  do  all  these  things. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

THE   WINDOWS. 

WE  might  expect  that  a  building  so  impor- 
taiit  as  our  marvelous  mansion  would  have 
many  windows.  In  fact,  it  has  only  two,  but  these 
are  worthy  of  our  admiration.  Over  them  are 
hung  beautiful  awnings  trimmed  with  a  fringe  cor- 
responding in  color  to  that  of  the  house  itself. 
The  divine  Architect  makes  nothing  for  ornament 
only,  and  so  this  fringe  acts  as  a  guard  to  sweep 
away  intruders.  The  awnings  are  lined  with  a 
delicate  pink  membrane,  called  the  conjunctiva ^ 
which  is  reflected  downward  over  the  windows 
themselves  as  a  netting  or  screen.  These  awn- 
ings also  serve  to  wash  the  windows.  They 
are  raised  and  lowered  noiselessly,  by  means 
of  small  muscles,  at  the  will  of  the  occupant. 
I  said  at  the  will  of  the  occupant  ;  but,  in 
fact,  they  are  being  raised  and  lowered  con- 
tinually whether  he  thinks  about  it  or  not,  and 
this  is  called  winking.  Close  up  under  the 
eyelid  is  a  little  sac  or  lachrymal  glafid  which 
secretes  a  fluid,  and  the  winking  spreads  this  fluid 

161 


162 


OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 


over  the  surface  of  the  eye.  On  the  lower  eyelid 
near  the  nose  is  the  opening  of  a  little  canal 
through  which  the  fluid  passes  downward  into  the 
nose ;  so  the  winking  is,  in  reality,  a  washing  of 
the  windows.  Would  not  our  housekeepers  think 
it  a  fine  thing  if  some  genius  would  invent  an 
awning  that  would  wash  windows  after  this 
fashion?      Sometimes  the  fluid  accumulates  so  fast 


'fj^^^^^^y 


DIAGRAM   OF  EYE. 

Showing  lachrymal  duct  to  the  right. 

that  it  cannot  be  disposed  of  through  the  canal, 
but  overflows  upon  the  cheek ;  this  we  call  crying 
or  shedding  tears.  Along  the  lower  lid  is  a  row 
of  little  oil  glands,  and  the  oily  secretion  keeps 
the  lids  from  sticking  together  when  they  are 
shut;  and  as  oil  and  water  will  not  mix,  it  serves 
also  to  keep  the  tears  from  overflowing  on  the 
cheeks.    When  the  awnings  are  raised,  we  can  see 


THE    WINDOWS  163 


the  beautiful  transparent  windows  through  which 
Man  looks  out  upon  the  world.  And  when  at 
night  he  is  tired  of  looking,  and  draws  the  awnings 
down  over  the  windows,  we  say  he  is  asleep. 

At  each  window  hangs  a  circular  curtain, 
colored  in  harmony  with  the  tinting  of  the  house, 
adding  greatly  to  its  beauty.  In  its  center  is  a 
circular  opening  which  looks  to  us  like  a  round 
black  spot  in  the  center  of  the  eye.  There  is  a 
small  muscle  round  this  opening  which  has  the 
power  of  contracting  and  making  the  hole  small 
when  the  light  is  too  strong,  or  relaxing  and 
making  the  hole  large  if  the  light  is  too  weak. 

The  transparent  window  in  front  of  the  curtain, 
in  shape  like  the  crystal  of  a  watch,  is  called  the 
coniea.  The  curtain  is  called  the  iris,  which 
means  rainbow. 

Through  these  rainbow-tinted  windows  Man 
becomes  acquainted  with  all  the  beauties  of  Nature 
and  Art,  and  through  these  windows  we  come 
most  near  to  catching  a  glimpse  of  Man  himself. 
If  we  can  read  the  language  of  the  eye,  we  shall 
know  the  thoughts.  The  lips  may  speak  falsely 
but  the  eyes  do  not  lie,  and  may  contradict  the 
spoken  word.  The  lips  may  be  silent,  and  the 
eye  speak  so  eloquently  of  gratitude,  affection,  or 
confidence  that  words  are  needless.  With  the 
eyes  closed,  light  dies  out  of  the  face.     No  wonder 


164  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

that  the  faces  of  the  blind  are  lacking  in  expres- 
sion, while  the  face  of  a  deaf-mute,  who  hears 
with  his  eyes,  glows  witVi  the  intensity  of  his 
own  thoughts  and  with  the  reflection  of  the  vary- 
ing phases  of  life  around  him.  We  often  hear  of 
'*  the  tell-tale  eye,"  and  when  we  are  in  doubt  of 
the  truth  of  a  statement,  we  say,  "■  Can  you  look 
me  in  the  eye  and  say  that?"  I  trust  that  we  shall 
each  keep  a  soul  so  pure  and  true  that  we  shall 
always  be  able  to  look  the  world  in  the  face  with 
an  open,  honest  glance  from  our  soul-windows. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 


THE    PHOTOGRAPHIC    CAMERA. 


SO  many  people  now-a-days  are  interested  in 
the  study  of  photography  that  you  will  be 
pleased  to  hear  that  the  eye  is  a  photographic 
camera.     A  photograph  is  made  by  using  a  plate 


DIAGRAM,    SHOWING   LARGE   NERVE    OF   THE  EYE. 

-(4 ,  Optic  nerve ;   5,  Eyeball. 

of  glass  covered  with  a  film  which  is  sensitive  to 
light.  This  sensitive  plate  is  placed  in  a  box  with 
a  small  opening  through  which  the  light  enters. 
The  object  to  be  photographed  is  placed  in  front 

165 


166  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

of  this  box,  or  camera,  as  it  is  called,  and  the 
light  reflected  from  the  object,  passing  through 
the  opening  in  the  box,  acts  upon  the  sensitive 
plate  and  produces  the  image.  The  light  parts  of 
the  object  act  strongly  upon  the  plate ,  the  dark 
parts,  or  shadows,  act  feebly,  and  thus  a  life-like 
image  is  obtained. 

You  see,  if  it  were  not  for  light  and  shade  there 


DIAGRAM    OF  THE      EYE. 

yd.  Cornea;  5,  Iris;  C,  Lens;  Z),  Choroid  or  second  coat;  £,  Retina. 

could  be  no  picture.  I  have  read  that  Queen 
Elizabeth  was  very  much  offended  with  the  artist 
who,  in  painting  her  portrait,  made  some  parts  of 
her  face  darker  than  others,  saying  that  her  face 
did  not  have  such  dark  spots  upon  it,  which  shows 
that,  highly  educated  as  she  was,  she  did  not 
understand  the  necessity  of  shadows  in  a  picture. 
It  is  very  interesting  to  notice  how  closely  the  eye 


THE  PHOTOGRAPHIC   CAMERA. 


167 


in  its  structure  resembles  the  photographer's 
camera.  In  shape  the  eyeball  is  nearly  spherical. 
The  interior  is  a  soft,  jelly-like,  transparent  sub- 
stance called  the  vitreous  humor,  from  the  Latin 
word  vitreous,  glassy.  This  vitreous  humor  is,  in 
shape,  much  like  a  rubber  ball,  dented  in  on  one 
side.  The  dented  place  is  just  back  of  the  iris, 
and  in  the  space  between  the  two  is  fitted  the 
crystalline  lens.     The   space  in  front  of  the  iris, 


f.  The  Hard  Co&t 
<5elero«ie  Coac); 
1  The  Coloured  Coat' 

{Choroid  Coat). 

%  The  Network  Coat 

(Acttaa). 


.  The  Homy  Coai^(C0i  - 

8  The  Water  Chambtt 

r  '  KA  queoits  Humoitr). 

i-io  The  Bound  "Window 

■  {PupUt. 

j^,  Toe  OiJ  tarn  (fruX 


n.  The  Glassy  TTatef 
(Kttreoui  Hiavmr). 


II.  The  Crystal  GUb 
ICrtfJtaUine  I,ensi. 


between  it  and   the   cornea,  is  filled  with  a  fluid 
known  as  the  aqueous  or  watery  humor. 

The  vitreous  humor  is  surrounded  by  a  very 
delicate,  transparent  membrane,  the  hyaloid,  which 
splits  into  two  layers  when  it  reaches  the  lens, 
enclosing  its  edges  and  holding  it  in  place.  Just 
outside  of  this  comes  a  coat  called  the  reti7ta,  from 
a  Latin  word  meaning  network,  which  covers  two- 
thirds  of  the  eyeball  and   ends  in  scalloped  edges, 


168  OUR    BODILY  DWELLING. 

the  orra  serrata.  This  retina  is  the  most  impor- 
tant part  of  the  eye,  for  it  is  really  the  organ  of 
sight.  Although  it  is  extremely  delicate,  it  is  a 
very  complicated  structure,  having  no  less  than 
ten  distinct  layers  of  tubes,  fibers,  cells,  and  gran- 
ular matter,  all  of  which,  no  doubt,  are  very  im- 
portant, but  which  we  cannot  now  fully  discuss. 

Outside  of  the  retina  is  a  covering  called  the 
choroid  coat,  from  a  Greek  word  meaning  leather, 
because  it  is  dark  brown  or  almost  black  in  color. 
This  covers  all  of  the  eyeball  except  the  part  in 
front  which  is  occupied  with  the  transparent  win- 
dow, the  cornea,  of  which  I  have  told  you.  Out- 
side of  all  is  a  strong  membrane  which  is  called 
the  sclerotic,  from  a  Greek  word  meaning  hard, 
because  it  is  the  toughest  coat  of  the  eye.  The 
sclerotic  unites  with  the  choroid  coat  around  the 
edge  of  the  cornea. 

Do  you  think  now  you  have  a  good  idea  of  the 
eye?  Take  your  rubber  ball  and  dent  it  in  on 
one  side.  In  front  of  this  dent  place  a  watch 
crystal.  Imagine  that  your  ball  has  two  coverings 
that  imite  around  the  edge  of  the  crystal,  holding 
it  in  place.  Inside  of  these  two  coverings  is  the 
delicate  network  of  the  retina,  and  the  ball  itself 
represents  the  vitreous  humor.  The  watch  crystal 
represents  the  cornea,  l^ack  of  this  cornea  stretch 
a  colored  curtain  with  a  hole  in  the  center,  and 


THE  PHOTOGRAPHIC   CAMERA. 


169 


just  back  of  this  hole  in  the  dented  place  of  the 
ball,  put  a  double  convex  lens,  and  you  will  have 
a  very  good  representation  of  the  eye.  The  eye- 
ball thus  completed  is  surrounded  by  a  cushion  of 
fat  which  fills  the  bony  cavity  of  the  socket  of  the 
eye  so  that  it  can  turn  easily  without  injury.  To 
the  eyeball  are  attached  six  muscles  which  enable 
it  to  be  moved  in  all  directions.  One  of  them  is 
of  particular  interest  because  it  runs  over  a  pulley. 


MUSCLES    OV   EYE. 


And  now  we  will  see  how  the  eye  and  the 
camera  compare  with  each  other.  The  camera  is 
a  box  with  only  one  opening  to  admit  light.  We 
may  say  the  same  of  the  eye.  The  camera  is 
painted  a  dull  black  inside ;  the  eye  has  its  dark 
choroid  coat.  In  the  opening  in  front  of  the 
camera  is  a  brass  tube  fitted  within  a  double  con- 
vex lens  and  this  tube  is  lengthened  or  shortened 
by  means   of   a  screw.     The  eye  has   its   convex 


170 


OUR   BODILY  DWELLING . 


lens  which  changes  its  shape  instead  of  being 
moved  forward  and  backward.  No  light  can  enter 
the  camera  except  through  the  one  opening,  and 
it  must  pass  through  the  lens  to  reach  the  sensi- 


Sfiovrifi^  Kow  tkeiiajf&  fiom  an  0^>jec^  Focus  on  tKe  "Kfctino. 

tive  plate ;  no  light  can  enter  the  eye  except 
through  the  circular  opening  of  the  iris,  and  it 
must  pass  through  the  lens  before  it  reaches  the 
sensitive  plate  of  the  retina.  In  the  camera  the 
lens  is  altered  in  its  position  so  as 
to  bring  the  rays  of  light  to  a  point 
or  focus,  as  it  is  called,  just  at  the 
right  place.  In  the  eye  this  is  ac- 
complished by  changing  the  shape 
of  the  lens.  A  lens  is  a  glass 
shaped  so  as  to  bend  or  refract 
the  rays  of  light  so  that,  entering 
LENSES.  the    lens     parallel,    they    will    be 

^,Convex. 5, Concave,  chaugcd  ill   dircction.     A  convex 


ffl 


THE  PHOTOGRAPHIC   CAMERA.  171 


lens  bends  the  rays  so  that  they  will  all  come  to- 
gether at  one  point,  and  the  more  convex  the  lens, 
the  sooner  will  the  rays  of  hght  come  together. 

In  the  eye,  this  bending  of  the  rays  of  light  is 
aided  by  the  cornea  and  also  by  the  aqueous  and 
vitreous  humors,  as  well  as  by  the  changing  of  the 
shape  of  the  lens.  The  ciHary  muscles  which  sur- 
round the  lens  contract  and  make  it  more  convex, 
or  relax  and  flatten  it.  The  nearer  the  object,  the 
more  convex  the  lens  becomes ;  the  farther  away 
the  object,  the  more  the  lens  flattens.  This  is 
called  the  power  of  accommodation  of  the  eye, 
and  its  purpose  is  to  focus  the  rays  of  light 
directly  on  the  retina. 

When  we  look  at  a  photograph,  if  we  see  that 

the  features  are  not  clear  and  distinct,  we  say  that 

the   person  was   out  of   focus;    by  that  we  mean 

that  he  was  not  placed  so  that  the  rays  of  light 

reflected   from   him  would   come   to    a  point  just 

exactly  on  the  sensitive  plate,  therefore  the  image 

is  more   or  less    blurred.      The    closest   point   at 

which   an  object  can  be   distinctly  seen  is,  in  the 

normal  eye,  about  six  inches.     This  is  called  the 

near  point  of  vision.     When  an  object  is  brought 

nearer  to  the  eye  than  this,  the   effort  to   increase 

the  convexity  of  the  lens  so  as  to  bring  the  rays 

of  Hght  to  a  focus  sooner,  becomes   painful  and 

the  object  is  no  longer  distinctly  seen. 


172  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

Between  the  point  of  near  vision  and  a  distance 
of  seventy  or  eighty  inches  from  the  eye,  the  lens 
must  be  changed  or  accommodated  in  order  to 
perceive  an  object  clearly.  Beyond  seventy  or 
eighty  inches  the  rays  of  light  from  objects  enter 
the  eye  so  nearly  parallel  that  no  change  of  lens 
is  required,  so  we  may  say  that  the  far  point  of 
vision  is  at  an  infinite  distance. 

The  eye  can  change  or  accommodate  from  a 
near  to  a  distant  object  more  rapidly  than  from  a 
distant  to  a  near  object,  because  this  change  is  a 
flattening  of  the  lens  by  a  relaxation  of  the  ciliary 
muscles,  and  they  can  relax  more  quickly  than 
they  can  contract  to  make  the  lens  more  convex. 
If  the  eye  is  not  normal,  it  may  perhaps  be  too 
short  from  front  to  back,  in  which  case  the  person 
is  far-sighted ;  that  is,  the  rays  of  light  do  not 
come  together  soon  enough  and  so  focus  beyond 
the  retina  and  the  object  will  have  to  be  moved 
farther  away  to  be  seen  distinctly,  or  the  defect 
can  be  remedied  by  wearing  spectacles  with  a 
convex  lens,  which  will  help  to  focus  the  rays 
sooner.  If  the  eyeball  is  too  long  from  front  to 
back,  the  rays  come  to  a  focus  too  soon  and  the 
image  will  be  formed  in  front  of  the  retina.  In 
this  case,  the  person  moves  the  object  closer  so  as 
to  focus  the  rays  on  the  retina.  He  is  short- 
sighted, or  near-sighted,  and  his  glasses  need  to 


THE  PHOTOGRAPHIC   CAMERA. 


173 


be  concave  so  as  to  slightly  disperse  the  rays  and 
keep  them  from  coming  to  a  focus  too  soon.  But 
all  the  light  in  the  world  would  not  produce  sight 
if  there  were  not  some  arrangement  for  sending 
messages  to  the  brain.  Light  strikes  on  the  nerves 
of  the  retina,  they  communicate  sensation  to  the 
optic  nerve,  and  it  carries  them  on  to  the  brain, 

and  man  becomes 
aware  of  what  is 
passing  before  his 
eyes.  This  optic 
nerve  has  not  the 
power  of  receiving 
impressio  ns  of 
light;  it  can  only 
tell  what  the  retina 
reports.  Where 
the  optic  nerve  en- 
ters the  eye  there 
is  no  sight,  and  this 
is  called  the  blind 
spot.  The  nerve 
enters  the  eye  a 
little  to  one  side, 
so  this  blind  spot 
does  not  interfere 
with  our  vision.  If  you  are  doubtful  about  having 
a  blind   spot  in   your  eye,  you    can  prove    it  for 


DIAGRAM   SHOWING   DIFFERENCE   IN   FOCUS. 


174  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

yourself.  Hold  your  two  thumbs  side  by  side 
before  your  eyes,  about  the  distance  you  would 
hold  a  book  in  reading.  Shut  your  left  eye  and 
fix  your  right  eye  on  the  nail  of  your  left  thumb. 
You  are  not  making  an  effort  now  to  see  the  right 
thumb  but  you  still  can  see  it.  Now  move  the 
right  thumb  slowly  away  to  one  side  and  you  will 
find  there  will  be  a  spot  where  you  cannot  see  the 
right  thumb  at  all,  although  you  can  see  the  shut 
hand ;  but  a  little  further  on  you  will  see  the 
thumb  again,  though  all  this  time  you  have  been 
looking  steadily  at  the  left  thumb. 

The  most  sensitive  part  of  the  retina  is  directly 
in  the  center  of  the  back  of  the  eye.  Here  is  a 
yellow  spot  where  there  are  no  fibers  of  the  optic 
nerve,  and  the  cones  of  the  retina  are  very  numer- 
ous. In  looking  at  large  objects  we  move  the 
eyes  so  the  different  parts  of  the  object  are  one 
after  another  brought  into  line  with  this  yellow 
spot,  then  the  brain  takes  all  the  separate  impres- 
sions and  puts  them  together  in  one  image,  and 
judges  of  them  as  a  whole ;  but  we  do  this  so 
quickly  and  so  constantly  that  we  do  not  realize 
that  we  are  doing  it.  The  rapid  motion  of  the 
eyes  in  seeing,  and  our  ability  to  notice  only  the 
vivid  impressions,  are  the  reasons  why  we  are 
unconscious  of  our  blind  spot  I  think  it  would 
be  a  good  thing  if  we  could   luin  our  blind  spot 


THE  PHOTOGRAPHIC   CAMERA,  175 

toward  the  unpleasant  things  of  life  and  not  see 
them  at  all. 

The  stimulation  of  light  upon  the  retina  may 
last  one-eighth  of  a  second  after  the  object  which 
reflected  the  light  is  removed,  and  it  remains 
visible  for  that  length  of  time  to  the  eye,  although 
in  reality  not  present;  so  two  impressions  may 
follow  each  other  so  quickly  as  to  seem  to  be  con- 
tinuous. A  wheel  may  revolve  so  rapidly  that 
the  spokes  seem  to  blend  and  become  a  solid,  or 
a  string  with  something  bright  at  the  end  may  be 
whirled  so  fast  that  we  seem  to  see  a  bright  circle. 
I  saw  not  long  ago  a  little  peep  show,  called  a  Zoe- 
trope,  which  was  made  very  interesting  by  under- 
standing this  fact.  Looking  through  the  peep- 
holes I  saw  a  man  apparently  running  and  jump- 
ing into  a  barrel  and  out  again,  in  and  out,  in  and 
out,  as  if  he  really  were  alive.  A  horse  jumped 
over  a  hurdle,  a  man  ran  up  a  ladder  and  into  the 
open  mouth  of  a  giant  that  closed  upon  him. 
When  the  revolving  wheel  stood  still,  I  saw  that 
on  a  band  of  paper  were  pictures  representing 
men  and  animals  in  the  various  positions  of 
running  and  jumping,  and  when  the  wheel  was 
set  in  rapid  motion  the  effect  of  real  life  was 
produced. 

We  have  learned  that  there    are    many  things 
going  on  in  the  eye  of  which  we  are  unconscious. 


176 


OUR  BODILY  DWELLING,. 


We  do  not  realize  that  in  vision  we  receive  a  mul- 
titude of  impressions  which  the  brain  puts  together 
in  a  complete  whole.  We  are  not  conscious  of 
changing  the  shape  of  the  lens  to  bring  the  rays 
to  a  focus  on  the  retina.  We  do  not  think  any- 
thing about  having  a  blind  spot,  and  we  are  not 
practically  aware  of  the  fact  that  we  see  every- 
thing upside  down.  The  accompanying  figure 
will  perhaps  explain  why: 


You  see  the  rays  at  a  are  bent  by  the  lens  and 
focus  at  A  and  those  from  b  at  B,  and  rays  from 
every  other  point  along  the  line  from  a  \.o  b  are 
focused  at  corresponding  points  between  A  and  B, 
so  that  we  have  a  distinct  image  at  the  line  A  and 
B  of  the  object  a  and  b,  but  much  smaller  and 
inverted.  You  can  hardly  believe  that  you  see 
everything  upside  down  in  this  way,  but  that  is 
what  the  scientists  tell  us,  and  they  have  proved 
it  by  their  experiments ;  so  I  suppose  we  will 
have  to  believe  them,  while  at  the  same  time  we 
are  quite  sure  that  we  see  things  right  side  up. 


THE  PHOTOGRAPHIC   CAMERA.  177 

It  is  quite  impossible  for  us  to  realize  how  much 
of  our  perception  of  objects  by  sight  is  the  result 
of  education.  I  have  just  read  of  an  individual 
born  with  a  film  over  the  eyes  which  was  removed 
after  he  had  grown  to  maturity.  When  he  first 
looked  at  things,  he  thought  they  touched  his 
eyes,  and  when  he  put  his  hand  to  his  eye  he  was 
surprised  at  not  finding  the  object  there  and  that 
he  had  to  walk,  often  some  distance,  before  he 
could  touch  it.  He  was  obliged  to  train  his  eyes 
by  means  of  his  other  senses. 

We  are  able  to  judge  of  the  solidity  of  objects 
because  we  look  at  them  with  two  eyes.  The 
image  formed  in  each  eye  is  not  exactly  the  same ; 
we  can  see  just  a  little  further  around  on  one  side 
of  the  object  with  one  eye  than  with  the  other, 
and  when  the  brain  puts  these  two  images 
together,  we  get  the  idea  of  perspective.  If  you 
will  look  at  an  object  first  with  one  eye  shut  and 
then  with  the  other,  you  see  just  how  different  the 
view  taken  by  each  eye  is.  You  have  seen  a 
stereoscope?  Well,  it  is  made  on  the  same  prin- 
ciple as  the  eye.  There  are  two  pictures  taken 
from  a  slightly  different  point  of  view  and  looked 
at  through  two  lenses,  separated  by  a  partition  so 
that  the  pictures  blend  into  one.  The  eyes  are 
lenses  separated  by  the  partition  of  the  nose, 
and  the  two  views  which  they  see  of  an  object  are 


178  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

blended  together  and  give  us  the  idea  of  form  and 
soHdity. 

Why  do  not  all  objects  seem  of  the  same  color? 
Ah,  now  you  have  asked  an  interesting  question, 
and,  although  I  may  not  be  able  to  answer  it  fully, 
I  hope  you  will  continue  to  study  the  subject 
until  you  have  learned  all  about  it. 

Sunlight  seems  white  but  is  made  by  the  union 
of  seven  colors.  The  three  primary  colors  are 
red,  blue  and  yellow,  and  these  uniting  make  the 
seven,  as  we  see  them  in  the  rainbow.  Green  is 
made  of  blue  and  yellow,  orange  of  red  and 
yellow;  red  and  blue  make  violet,  and  violet  and 
blue  make  indigo.  Isaac  Newton  arranged  these 
colors  in  the  order  of  the  rainbow  on  a  disk,  and 
rotating  it  with  great  rapidity  saw  that  they 
blended  and  the  disk  looked  of  a  dull  white.  If 
an  object  lets  all  the  rays  of  light  pass  through  it, 
it  will  have  no  color,  and  is  called  translucent.  If 
it  allows  none  of  the  rays  to  pass  through  it,  but 
reflects  or  sends  them  all  back  to  the  eye,  the 
object  looks  white.  If  it  absorbs  all  and  reflects 
none,  it  appears  black.  If  it  reflects  only  red 
rays,  absorbing  all  the  others,  it  looks  red ;  and 
so  with  all  the  other  primary  colors.  If  it  reflects 
some  blue  and  some  yellow  rays,  it  looks  green, 
and  so  on. 

How  does  the  retina  then  tell  us  the  story  as  to 


THE  PHOTOGRAPHIC  CAMERA.  179 

the  reflection  of  light  by  the  object,  for  the  retina 
must  be  sensitive  to  all  rays?  It  is  supposed  that 
certain  nerve  fibers  are  excited  by  certain  colors ; 
or  to  speak  accurately,  there  are  three  sets  of 
fibers  affected  by  the  three  primary  colors,  and 
the  way  in  which  these  fibers  are  affected  will  pro- 
duce the  various  tints.  If  all  are  aroused,  they 
produce  a  sensation  of  white ;  red  will  affect  those 
fibers  sensitive  to  red  rays ;  green  will  arouse 
those  sensitive  to  blue  and  yellow,  and  in  this  way 
the  various  combinations  of  colors  are  made 
known  to  us.  This  theory  would  account  for 
color-blindness  on  the  supposition  that  the  fibers 
which  should  be  sensitive  to  some  certain  color 
do  not  respond  to  that  color. 

Color  adds  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  world. 
Just  think  how  gloomy  it  would  be  if  everything 
were  of  a  dull  gray  or  brown  !  Even  the  most 
beautiful  color  impartially  given  to  every  object 
would  become  monotonous.  Those  who  are 
color-blind  lose  much  of  the  pleasure  of  sight,  but 
the  matter  becomes  of  more  serious  import  when 
we  realize  how  the  safety  and  life  of  people  depend 
upon  the  power  of  the  engineer  or  pilot  to  recog- 
nize the  color  of  danger  signals. 

Color-blindness  is  much  more  common  among 
men  than  women.  One  eminent  oculist  asserts 
that  among  twelve    thousand    children,  he  found 


180  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

ten  girls  and  four  hundred  and  eighty  boys  who 
were  color-blind ;  among  a  large  audience  of  men 
and  women,  ten  per  cent  of  the  men  were  color- 
blind but  not  one  woman. 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

THE   MUSIC-ROOM. 

ON  either  side  of  the  cupola  are  two  very 
pretty  porticoes  which  protect  the  entrance 
to  a  wonderful  music-room  where  music  is  never 
made,  but  where  it  is  heard.  Our  good  fairy 
Aura  is  a  fine  musician,  but  while  she  sings  in  one 
room,  her  music  is  not  heard  there  but  in  another, 
and  Aura  runs  from  one  room  to  another  carrying 
the  tones  through  these  porticoes  of  the  external 
ear  to  the  place  where  they  can  be  heard. 

The  porticoes  are  convoluted  and  fluted  in 
various  ways  that  add  to  their  beauty.  But  these 
curvings  are  not  wholly  for  looks,  for  we  are  told 
that  they  all  help  Aura  to  find  her  way  into  the 
circular  passages  that  lead  inward.  These  pas- 
sages are  protected  by  hairy  guards  who,  how- 
ever, never  interfere  with  Aura.  She  goes  with 
step  brisk  or  slow  through  the  porticoes,  along 
the  passages,  until  she  comes  to  a  curtain 
stretched  tightly  across  the  way.  There  is  no 
opening  in  it,  and  it  will  not  move ;  so  what  can 
she  do?     Ah,  Aura  is  a  fairy,  and  she  can  be  in 

181 


182  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

more  than  one  place  at  a  time.  She  is  also  on 
the  other  side  of  this  curtain,  which  is  called  the 
tympanum,  or  drum-head. 

How  did  she  get  through  if  there  is  no  door 
in  this  immovable  curtain?  Perhaps  you  will 
remember  that  there  are  seven  passages  leading 
from  the  throat,  and  two  of  these  lead  into  the 
ears;      they     are     called     the     Eustachian     tubes. 


Fig.  41  —  Section  of  the  ear,  showing  the  relative  positions  of  the  external, 
middle,  and  internal  ear. 

Through  these  Aura  finds  her  way  into  the  cavity 
that  is  known  as  the  drum  of  the  ear.  If  you  shut 
your  mouth  tightly,  and  hold  your  nose,  and  then 
try  to  breathe  out,  you  can  feel  her  rush  through 
these  tubes  into  the  middle  ear.  You  all  know 
how  a  drum  is  made,  but  do  you  know  that  a 
drum  must  have  air  on  the  inside  or  it  will  not 
sound?  The  membrane  of  the  tympanum  is  the 
head    of   the   drum.     But   a    drum  will   make   no 


THE  MUSIC-ROOM. 


183 


music  unless  some  one  pounds  on  it.  Well,  Aura 
knows  that,  and  so  she  pounds  with  little  blows 
that  are  called  waves  of  air,  and  the  tympanum 
vibrates,  and  this  is  the  beginning  of  hearing,  but 
it  is  only  the   beginning.     The  cavity  into  which 

the  Eustachian  tubes 
lead  is  called  the  mid- 
dle ear,  and  here  Aura 
has  some  queer  play- 
things. One  is  a  little 
hammer ;  another,  an  anvil ;  the  third,  a  stirrup. 
The  little  hammer  is  suspended  b}'  tiny  muscles 
so   that    one     end   touches    the     tympanum,     the 


HAMMER. 


Opening  of 
Aquaductua  YestibuU' 

Opening  of 
Agu£eductu3  Cochlea 
THE    OSSEOUS   LABYRINTH    LAID   OPEN.       (Enlarged.) 

other    end  touches    the    anvil ;    the  anvil   is   con- 
nected to  the  stirrup,  and   the  stirrup  is  fitted  into 


184 


OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 


an  oval  window  which  is  also  closed  by  a  tight 
membraneous  curtain.  The  room  on  the  other  side 
of  this  window  is  very  small  and  is  called  the  ves- 
tibule. Out  of  this  open  three  passages  called 
semi-circular  canals  ;  they  are  tubes  and  are  like 
loops.  If  you  go  out  of  the  vestibule  through  one 
of  these  canals,  you  come  into  the  vestibule  again, 
and  that  would  make  six  openings  if  it  were  not 
that  two  of  them  unite  at  one  point  and  enter  the 
vestibule  by  a  common  way. 

From  the  fore  part  of  the  vestibule  passes 
another  tube  which  coils  two  and  a  half  times 
around   like    a   snail    shell,   and    so    is   called    the 


A  ^ 


THE   COCHLEA   LAID   OPEN. 


cochlea.  All  of  these  tubes,  forming  what  is 
called  the  labyrinth,  are  of  bone,  are  lined  by 
membranes,  and  filled  with  a  fluid.  In  the  vesti- 
bule are  a  number  of  six-sided  crystals  of  carbon- 
ate of  lime  called  otoliths,  or  bonestones,  which 
vibrate  in  the  fluid  and  strike  against  the  hair-like 


THE  MUSIC-ROOM.  185 

projections  growing  from  the  walls  and  seemingly 
connected  with  the  nerve  fibers.  If  we  cut  into 
the  cochlea,  we  will  see  a  central  bony  pillar 
around  which  the  tube  winds  two  and  a  half  times, 
and  is  divided  into- three  compartments,  one  called 
the  staircase  of  the  vestibule ;  one  the  staircase  of 
the  tympanum ;  and  one  the  middle  staircase. 
At  the  top  of  the  staircase  of  the  vestibule  we  pass 
through  a  small  opening  and  go  down  the  stair- 
case of  the  tympanum  to  a  round  window.  Do 
you  understand  that  the  floor  of  one  staircase  is 
the  roof  of   the  staircase  below  it,  so  the  middle 

A 


ARCHES   OF   ORGAN   CF   CORTI   (VERY    HIGHLY    MAGNIFIED.) 

one  is  roofed  by  the  floor  of  the  one  above,  and 
floored  by  the  roof  of  the  one  below?  This 
middle  staircase  is  filled  with  a  fluid,  and  in  here 
is  the  Organ  of  Corti,  a  very  complicated  structure 
consisting  of  peculiarly  shaped  rods  called  the 
rods  of  Corti  and  of  cells  each  connected  with  a 
nerve  fiber  at  one  end  and  with  stiff  hairs  project- 
ing from  the  other. 

These  all  rest  upon  a  basilar  membrane  com- 
posed of  parallel  fibers  of  different  lengths.  There 
are  about   twenty-four    thousand    of    these    fibers 


186  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

and  they  vibrate  as  do  the  wires  of  a  piano.  It  is 
presumed  that  the  vibrations  are  stopped  by  the 
pressure  of  a  membrane  that  Hes  over  the  rods  of 
Corti  and  the  stiff  hairs. 

When  Aura  enters  the  passage  of  the  external 
ear,  she  goes  on  until  she  reaches  the  tympanum. 
Then  she  strikes  it  with  many  blows  that  make  it 
shake.  This  motion  is  conducted  through  the 
hammer  to  the  anvil,  and  on  to  the  stirrup,  which, 
pressing  against  the  curtain  in  the  oval  window, 
makes  that  vibrate.  That  shakes  the  fluid  in  the 
vestibule,  and  this  motion  vibrates  the  membranes 
and  fluids  of  the  cochlea,  and  the  different  rates 
of  vibration  of  the  fluids  in  the  middle  staircase 
set  in  motion  the  corre- 
sponding fibers  of  the  basilar 
membrane.  This  motion  is 
communicated  to  the  cells  of 
the  Organ  of  Corti,  and  they 
touch  the  nerve  fibers  and 
cause  messages  to  be  sent  to 

Man   in   the    general     Ofhce     of  The  Hammer,  Anvil  and 

,        ,         .  Stirrup  in  position. 

the  bram. 

But  if  all  this  is  needed  to  perceive  sound  at 
all,  we  do  not  yet  understand  how  we  can  dis- 
tinguish such  a  multitude  of  sounds  one  from 
the  other.  The  song  of  the  canary  does  not  sound 
like   that  of   the  nightingale,  the   buzz  of   the  fly 


THE  MUSIC-ROOM.  ]87 

is  not  like  that  of  the  mosquito.  We  learn  to 
know  the  voices  of  different  people,  we  distinguish 
high  tones  from  low  tones,  loud  sounds  from  soft 
ones.  We  know  the  sound  of  the  wind,  the  sea, 
the  tones  of  the  piano  or  violin,  the  cry  of  pain  or 
the  laugh  of  joy.  Can  we  explain  all  this  ? 
Perhaps  not  fully,  yet  we  can  tell  something  about 
it.  If  we  take  two  tuning  forks,  both  sounding 
the  same  note,  and  set  them  up  some  distance 
from  each  other,  and  strike  one,  we  shall  soon 
hear  that  the  other  is  singing  too ;  this  is  called 
sympathetic  vibration.  Perhaps  you  thought  it 
was  only  live  folks  that  sympathize.  You  know 
when  you  see  any  one  laugh,  you  want  to  laugh; 
if  they  cry,  you  feel  like  crying;  but  here  are  two 
pieces  of  metal,  and  when  one  sings,  the  other 
begins  to  sing:  that  is,  if  they  are  both  tuned  to 
the  same  note ;  if  they  are  not,  then  one  may  sing 
all  it  pleases  and  the  other  will  be  silent. 

The  explanation  is  this.  Each  sound  makes 
its  own  vibration  of  air.  It  is  like  dropping  a 
stone  into  the  water  and  starting  the  little  circles 
of  waves  in  motion.  Any  impulse  given  to  the 
air  makes  little  waves  which  travel  on  and  on. 
The  waves  made  by  striking  the  one  tuning  fork 
went  on  till  they  struck  the  other  one,  and  as  that 
fork  was  of  the  same  key,  it  responded.  If  we 
should  put  up  a  great  number  of  these  tuning  forks, 


188  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

all  tuned  to  differc  \t  keys,  and  a  tune  was  played 
in  the  room  on  any  musical  instrument,  each  fork 
would  answer  when  its  key-note  was  struck,  just 
as  if  its  name  had  been  called,  and  one  could  tell 
just  what  notes  had  been  sounded  by  seeing  which 
forks  were  vibrating.  If  our  supply  of  tuning 
forks  was  so  great  that  we  had  one  for  every 
sound  that  could  be  made,  each  sound  would  set 
some  one  of  them  in  motion.  That  is  just  what 
we  suppose  we  have  in  the  ear  in  this  wonderful 
organ  of  Corti.  Do  you  wonder  that  I  call  the 
ear  a  music  room?  If  each  fiber  of  the  basilar 
membrane  is  sensitive  to  a  particular  vibration, 
and  communicates  that  vibration  to  a  nerve-fiber, 
then  we  hear  the  sound  that  corresponds  to  it. 

If  in  a  given  time  the  vibrations  are  few  in 
number  they  produce  low  tones ;  if  many,  they 
produce  high  tones.  According  to  Peyer,  twenty- 
three  vibrations  per  second  are  the  lowest  we  can 
hear,  and  40,260  vibrations  per  second,  the  high- 
est. This  makes  a  range  of  about  eleven  and  a 
half  octaves. 

The  ear  may  be  educated  to  analyze  sounds. 
The  skilled  physician  listening  to  the  beating  of 
the  heart  can  detect  sounds  that  would  wholly 
escape  the  untrained  ear,  and  the  musician  can 
hear  the  notes  that  make  harmony  of  music  where 
the  uneducated  ear  hears  but  the  prominent  notes 
that  form  the  melody. 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 

THE    ORCHESTRION. 

THE  Standard  Dictionary  defines  an  orches- 
trion as  a  musical  instrument  designed  to 
imitate  the  orchestra,  and  I  think  we  have  such  an 
instrument  in  our  wonderful  house.  UnUke  the 
compHcated  organ  of  hearing,  it  is  very  simple  in 
construction,  although  capable  of  making  a  mar- 
velous variety  of  sounds.  It  can  talk  and  sing,  it 
can  laugh  and  cry,  it  can  mew  like  a  cat  and  bark 
like  a  dog,  crow  like  a  rooster,  neigh  like  a  horse, 
and  trill  like  a  bird. 

Did  you  ever  see  one  of  those  strolling  musi- 
cians who  tries  to  be  a  whole  band  in  himself? 
He  has  a  bag-pipe  under  his  arm,  cymbals 
attached  to  his  knees,  a  drum  strapped  on  his 
back,  and  I  don't  know  what  other  instruments 
fastened  to  him  elsewhere,  and  he  manages  to 
strike  each  one  of  them  once  in  a  while.  Of 
course,  he  has  to  stay  in  one  place  while  playing, 
and  there  is  very  little  music  in  it  after  all.  It  is 
only  a  very  poor  imitation  of  what  we  are  con- 
stantly doing  with  our  orchestrion  without  think- 
ing that  we  are  doing  anything  wonderful. 

189 


190 


DUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 


In  the  first  place,  we  do  not  have  a  lot  of 
instruments  hung  clumsily  about  us  in  various 
places,  but  our  orchestrion  is  a  compact  little  box 
that  we  carry  in  our  throats.  We  are  not  obliged 
to  stand  still  when  we  use  it;  we  can  walk,  run  or 
work  while  talking  or  singing. 


LARYNX 


FRONT  VIEW  OF  THE  LARYNX. 

^jhyoidbone;  5,  C,  thyroid  cartilage; 
D,  cricoid;  E,  first  cartilaginous  ring  of 
the  trachea. 


Our  musical  instrument  is  located  at  the  top  of 
the  laundry  stairs,  and  is  called  the  larynx  or 
voice-box.  Aura  comes  through  the  voice-box 
every  time  we  breathe,  but  she  comes  softly  unless 
Man  wants  to  use  his  musig^l  instrument  in  some 


THE    ORCHESTRION  191 

way,  and  then  she  is  ready  to  play  it  for  him,  and 
without  her  he  could  make  no  audible  music. 

The  larynx  is  a  cartilaginous  box,  without  top 
or  bottom,  set  at  the  top  of  the  trachea.  The 
little  trap-door  of  the  epiglottis  shuts  down  over 
it  when  food  is  passing,  but  lifts  to  admit  air.  If 
you  look  at  the  picture  of  the  larynx,  you  will  see 
that  the  greater  part  of  it  is  made  of  two  large 
cartilages  called  thyroid,  which  means  shield.  At 
the  top  of  each  shield  we  see  two  little  horns  to 
which  muscles  are  attached  to  suspend  the  larynx 
from  the  hyoid  bone,  which  is  the  bone  of  the 
tongue.  You  didn't  know  you  had  a  bone  in 
your  tongue?  Well,  it  does  not  go  through  its 
length,  but  supports  it  at  the  roots,  and  also  holds 
up  the  larynx.  Below  the  thyroid  is  a  cartilage 
called  the  cricoid,  shaped  like  a  signet  ring :  that 
is  what  cricoid  means.  On  the  upper  edge  of 
the  cricoid  at  the  back  are  two  triangular  carti- 
lages called  arytenoid,  which  play  a  very  impor- 
tant part  in  the  production  of  sound.  These 
cartilages  have  muscles  at  each  corner  and  are 
moved  by  them  in  much  the  same  way  that  the 
triangular  metal  used  in  the  old-fashioned  bell- 
pull  is  worked. 

Two  bands  of  fibrous  tissue  are  stretched  across 
the  larynx  from  front  to  back,  leaving  a  chink 
between,  and   these  are  the  vocal   cords.     When 


192  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

the  air  is  forced  through  this  chink,  it  makes  the 
cords  vibrate,  and  sound  is  produced.  In  ordinary 
breathing,  the  cords  are  relaxed  so  sound  is  not 
made.  This  orchestrion  is  Hke  a  reed  instrument. 
The  vocal  cords  are  like 
reeds :  the  lungs  are  the 
bellows,  and  the  trachea  is 
a  pipe  leading  from  the  bel- 
lows to  the  voice-box.  How 
simple  is  the  construction, 

VOCAL   ORGANS. 

yet    how    complicated    the 

powers  of  this  unique  instrument]  Sound,  as  we 
have  learned,  is  made  by  vibrations  of  air.  If  these 
vibrations  are  irregular,  they  constitute  noise ;  if 
they  have  a  certain  regularity  they  make  music. 
A  high  note  has  very  quick  vibrations;  a  low 
note,  slow  vibrations.  Generally,  instruments 
making  the  same  note  have  different  qualities  of 
tone,  because  of  what  is  called  the  overtones  of 
each. 

Loudness  of  tone  is  produced  by  the  force  with 
which  air  is  sent  out  through  the  larynx.  The 
cords  are  made  longer  or  shorter  by  the  action  of 
the  triangular  cartilages.  This  determines  the 
pitch  of  the  tone.  The  shorter  and  tighter  the 
cords,  the  faster  the  vibration  and  the  higher  the 
note ;  the  longer  and  looser  the  cords,  the  slower 
the  vibrations  and  the  lower  the  note.     At  about 


THE    ORCHESTRION.  193 

fourteen  years  of  age  the  larynx  enlarges,  and  the 
voice  changes,  becoming  lower  in  tone.  Voices 
of  women  are  higher  than  those  of  men  partly 
because  the  vocal  cords  are  shorter.  Children's 
are  shorter  still,  and  their  voices  are  correspond- 
ingly higher. 

The  quality  of  the  voice  is  affected  by  the  shape 
of  the  throat,  larynx,  and  the  trachea,  and  also  by 
the  knowledge  of  how  to  use  these  organs.  One 
can  cultivate  the  habit  of  talkin^r  in  a  hig-h  and 
disagreeable  voice,  or  in  one  that  is  low  and  soft. 
The  poet  says,  "  A  low  voice  is  an  excellent  thing 
in  woman,"  and  I  think  he  might  have  said  in 
everybody.  The  voice  marks  to  a  very  great 
degree  the  cultivation  of  the  individual,  and  also 
tells  much  about  his  character.  The  high  voice 
is  irritating  and  often  betokens  irritation.  People 
scold  in  a  high  voice,  and  I  think  I  am  safe  in 
saying  that  to  be  scolded  never  makes  a  person 
want  to  do  better.  The  low  voice  tells  more  of  deep 
feeling,  and  appeals  to  the  better  nature. 

If  you  want  to  move  one  to  good  impulses, 
speak  low  and  soft. 

Having  in  our  possession  such  a  magnificent 
musical  instrument,  we  should  learn  how  to  use  it, 
not  only  in  singing  but  in  speaking  and  reading 
aloud,  using  tones  that  soothe  and  comfort  rather 
than  those  that  irritate  and  offend. 


194  OUR    BODILY  DWELLING, 

The  hard  palate  and  nasal  passages  form  a  sort 
of  sounding  board,  and  by  their  vibrations  increase 
the  resonance  of  tones.  We  say  a  man  talks 
through  his  nose  when,  in  fact,  that  is  just  what 
he  does  not  do.  The  so-called  nasal  tone  is  made 
because  the  nasal  passages  are  closed.  The  range 
of  the  human  voice  is  about  four  octaves :  that  is, 
from  the  lowest  note  of  a  base  voice  to  the  highest 
note  of  a  soprano.  It  is  seldom  that  an  individ- 
ual can  sing  over  a  range  of  more  than  two  and  a 
half  octaves. 

We  have  only  spoken  of  the  production  of 
musical  tones.  We  would  like  to  know  some- 
thing of  the  formation  of  speech,  and  we  find  that 
the  tongue,  lips,  cheeks,  palate,  and  pillars  of  the 
throat  are  all  used  in  making  vocal  sounds,  or  in 
modifying  the  vibrations  of  air  in  various  ways  so 
as  to  produce  peculiar  sounds  which  we  recognize 
as  vowels  or  consonants,  and  the  union  of  these 
form  words.  In  spoken  words  we  do  not  greatly 
vary  the  pitch,  though  we  do  not  talk  altogether 
on  one  tone ;  while  in  singing  we  vary  the  pitch 
of  tones  as  well  as  their  length,  and  give  them 
with  a  rythm,  which  we  call  time :  that  is,  the 
vibrations  are  repeated  in  a  certain  order  which  is 
pleasing  to  the  ear. 

Sometimes,  we  find  a  bodily  house  in  which  the 
orchestrion  is  silent.     The  individual  is  mute.    We 


THE   ORCHESTRION.  195 

used  to  think  that  was  because  he  had  no  power 
to  speak.  We  know  now  that  it  is  because  the 
organ  of  Corti  in  the  inner  ear  will  not  respond  to 
Aura  when  she  plays  on  the  drum  of  the  ear. 
The  person  is  deaf,  we  say,  and,  as  he  hears  no 
sounds,  he  makes  no  attempt  to  imitate  sounds 
with  his  vocal  organs.  He  is  mute  merely 
because  he  is  deaf.  Formerly,  the  child  born 
deaf  was  only  taught  to  talk  with  his  fingers,  but 
now  he  is  tanght  to  talk  even  though  he  cannot 
hear.  If  he  can  see,  he  can  learn  to  read  the 
motions  of  the  lips.  If  he  cannot  see,  he  can  learn 
to  read  the  movements  of  the  lips  and  larynx  with 
his  fingers.  Have  you  not  read  of  Helen  Keller, 
the  girl  who  cannot  hear  or  see,  and  yet  has 
learned  to  talk  and  hear  through  her  fingers  by 
putting  them  on  the  lips  and  throat  of  those  who 
are  talking  to  her?  She  is  a  bright,  happy,  well- 
educated  girl  in  spite  of  her  affliction,  and  we  who 
can  hear  and  see  and  speak,  ought  to  thank  the 
divine  Architect  both  with  heart  and  voice. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

THE    LIBRARY. 

T~^ON'T  you  just  enjoy  a  stormy  winter  day? 
^-^  The  wind  may  howl,  the  sleet  tap  on  the 
window-pane  with  its  icy  fingers,  but  it  doesn't 
frighten,  us,  for  the  fire  glows  cheerily,  the  big 
chair  beckons  us  invitingly,  and  all  around  the 
walls  of  the  library  are  books,  books,  books,  wait- 
ing to  be  read :  books  of  travel,  of  history,  of 
poetry,  of  romance ;  the  brightest,  wittiest,  most 
entrancing  thoughts  of  the  great  minds  of  all 
ages;  yours  just  for  the  looking  at  them.  What 
could  be  more  enjoyable?  But  perhaps  your 
books  are  not  many,  only  a  few  dear  friends  that 
a  slim  purse  has  allowed  you  to  gather  around 
you.  They  are  in  plain  bindings  on  a  simple  pine 
shelf,  but  how  you  love  them  !  They  begin  back 
with  the  friends  of  your  childhood :  dear  Dotty 
Dimple  and  Prudy  Parlin,  Robinson  Crusoe,  Little 
Lord  Fauntleroy,  and  all  the  sweet  familiar  faces 
that  have  not  been  displaced  by  the  older  friends, 
loved  just  as  dearly:  Paul  Dombey,  Little  Dorrit, 
Tom  Brown,  Robert  Falconer,  Lorna  Doone,  Sir 
196 


THE  LIBRARY.  197 


Gibbie,  and  a  host  of  others.  How  you  love  the 
famihar  bindings  even,  and  you  take  them  up  and 
caress  them  as  if  they  knew  how  dear  they  were 
to  you,  and  to  part  with  one  of  them  nearly 
breaks  your  heart.  You  cannot  take  your  books 
as  you  go  about  your  work  or  play,  and  yet,  do 
you  not  have  them  with  you  ?  Ah,  yes,  you  have 
stored  them  away  in  the  library  of  your  wonderful 
house,  a  company  of  dear  friends  who  will  ever  be 
with  you.  You  began  this  library  far  back  in 
your  childhood;  and  if  you  have  been  wise  in  the 
selection  of  your  authors,  you  have  now  quite  a 
collection  of  literature  that  you  can  enjoy  at  any 
time  or  place  or  at  any  hour  of  the  day  or  night. 
Perhaps  you  have  not  appreciated  this  library 
of  yours.  When  you  come  to  glance  over  its 
contents,  you  see  only  a  higgledy-piggledy  collec- 
tion of  scraps.  There's  an  arithmetic  with  part  of 
the  multiplication  table  left  out,  and  —  O  dear ! 
what  a  state  fractions  is  in  !  There's  a  grammar 
with  only  a  few  leaves  in  it,  and  they  are  filled 
with  a  collection  of  words  which  you  don't  under- 
stand ;  and  the  geography !  why,  in  it,  the  Nile 
and  Niger  unite  to  form  the  Ohio ;  New  York  has 
moved  over  in  the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  and  you 
could  not  find  Abyssinia  if  you  tried  all  day.  The 
most  complete  collection  of  poems  is  ''  Mother 
Goose's  Melodies,"  and  there  are  just  a  few  broken 


198  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

and  disconnected  verses  from  the  Bible.  Oh,  my 
dear,  you  really  must  begin  to  get  things  into 
better  shape.  What  is  this  big  bundle  in  the 
corner?  Dime  novels?  I  wish  you  could  just 
take  them  all  out  and  burn  them  up.  They 
occupy  so  much  space  that  ought  to  be  filled  with 
other  things.  It  is  one  disadvantage  of  this  library 
that  you  keep  its  contents  even  if  you  give  them 
away,  and  the  harder  you  try  to  forget  them,  the 
surer  you  are  to  remember  them.  There  is  one 
thing  you  can  do,  you  can  crowd  them  out.  If  from 
this  time  on  you  read  no  more  foolish  stories,  but 
read  good  books,  interesting  and  valuable  books, 
gradually  this  pile  of  nonsense  will  fade  away  and 
grow  dim,  and  in  time,  I  hope,  will  vanish  alto- 
gether. 

Now  let  us  see  what  else  you  have  collected  in 
your  wonderful  library.  Where  is  your  diction- 
ary? Oh,  it's  rather  small,  isn't  it?  And  now  I 
look  it  over  I  find  it  contains  a  good  many  rather 
queer  words,  and  the  spelling  seems  to  be  a  little 
unreliable  ;  and  here,  on  this  page  where  you  don't 
want  me  to  look,  are  words  that  make  me  very 
sad  to  see.  Let  us  fasten  those  leaves  together 
and  never  peep  at  those  words  again.  How  many 
good,  honest  words  do  you  suppose  your  diction- 
ary contains?  Not  very  many.  Some  people  go 
through  life  with  a  vocabulary  of  only  about  three 


THE  LIBRARY.  19 J 


hundred    words.       Your    vocabulary    means     the 
words  which  you  understand  and  use  correctly. 

LIMITED   VOCABULARY. 

Professor  Max  Mtiller  quotes  the  statement  of  a  clergj^man  that 
some  of  the  people  in  his  parish  had  not  three  hundred  words  in 
their  vocabulary.  A  well-educated  person  seldom  uses  more  than 
three  thousand  or  four  thousand  words  in  actual  conversation. 
Accurate  thinkers  and  close  reasoners,  who  select  with  great  nicety 
the  words  that  exactly  fit  their  meaning,  employ  a  much  larger 
stock,  and  eloquent  speakers  may  rise  to  the  command  of  ten  thou- 
sand words.  Shakespeare,  who  displayed  a  greater  variety  of 
expressions  than  probably  any  other  writer  in  any  language,  pro- 
duced all  his  plays  with  about  fifteen  thousand  words.  Milton's 
works  are  built  up  with  eight  thousand,  and  the  Old  Testament  says 
all  it  has  to  say  with  5,642  different  words. 

If  you  should  learn  a  new  word  and  its  meaning 
every  day  for  a  year,  your  vocabulary  would 
begin  to  grow  very  rapidly,  would  n't  it?  What 
would  be  the  use  of  so  many  words?  They 
enable  us  to  express  different  shades  of  meaning. 
No  two  words  mean  just  exactly  the  same  thing. 
I  have  heard  of  a  young  lady  who  had  only  two 
phrases  with  which  to  express  her  admiration,  or 
her  detestation.  The  things  that  she  admired 
were  "  simply  perfect,"  the  ones  she  disliked  were 
**  perfectly  simple." 

If  you  like  something  very  much,  you  probably 
say  it  is  **  perfectly  lovely,"  or  "  awfully  nice," 
and   it   does  not   matter  whether  it  is  a  sermon,  a 


200  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

picture,  a  person,  a  dinner,  or  the  weather.  We 
Hke  to  be  rich  in  money,  why  not  Hke  to  be  rich 
in  words?  Then  we  should  be  able  to  apply  our 
adjectives  more  appropriately.  People  sometimes 
make  a  very  ridiculous  use  of  words.  I  have 
heard  them  talk  of  "  beautiful  oysters,"  an  '*  ele- 
gant prayer-meeting,"  or  a  "  handsome  piece  of 
music' 

They  had  a  vocabulary,  but  they  had  not 
studied  definitions. 

The  library  of  our  bodily  house  will  differ  in 
different  people.  In  some,  there  are  great  quanti- 
ties of  mathematics  ;  in  some,  the  sciences  predom- 
inate ;  in  some,  there  are  books  in  French,  Ger- 
man, Latin,  English,  and  perhaps  half  a  dozen 
other  languages.  Some  libraries  have  many 
poems,  in  others  there  will  be  scarcely  a  ryhme. 
Day  by  day  this  library  should  increase  its  stores. 

There  are  people  who  seem  to  see  and  learn 
much,  yet  never  store  anything  away ;  "  they 
can't  remember,"  they  say.  You  have  already 
understood  that  this  library  is  the  memory,  and 
the  brain  is  the  organ  of  memory.  We  have  not 
yet  learned  just  in  what  parts  of  the  brain  different 
memories  are  located,  though  we  know  where  lies 
the  memory  of  spoken  and  written  words.  But 
we  have  learned  what  is  of  greater  value,  that 
even    if  we  do  not    know  just  where    the    book- 


THE   LIBRARY.  201 


shelves  are  that  contain  our  memory  library,  we 
can  find  the  different  books  when  we  want  them, 
and,  better  still,  we  can  constantly  increase  their 
number.  This  power  of  adding  to  the  treasures 
of  memory  can  be  greatly  cultivated.  We  can 
have  good  memories  or  poor  ones,  in  just  the 
same  way  that  we  can  have  strong  muscles  or 
weak  ones ;  and  that  is  by  exercise  or  lack  of 
exercise.  Do  you  not  think  it  would  be  a  fine 
thing  to  be  able  to  remember  all  the  valuable  facts 
with  which  we  have  become  acquainted?  How 
can  you  begin  this  power?  First,  you  must  take 
into  account  the  fact  that  the  material  brain  is  the 
organ  of  thought,  and  to  do  good  work  it  must 
have  good  food,  the  kind  of  food  that  will  keep  it 
in  repair.  Not  only  must  nutrition  be  supplied 
through  food,  but  it  must  be  carried  to  the  brain 
by  a  good  circulation.  To  insure  a  good  circula- 
tion, the  heart  must  be  vigorous  —  failure  of  heart- 
power  is  accompanied  by  failure  of  memory,  and 
heart-power  is  increased  by  exercise.  Then  the 
brain  must  be  exercised.  It  will  not  retain 
impressions  unless  it  is  trained  to  do  so  ;  but  it 
must  not  be  overworked.  Fatigue,  either  of  body 
or  brain,  lessens  the  power  to  remember.  G.  J. 
Holyoke  says  of  his  experience  in  this  line,  that 
when  traveling  expenses  were  the  only  pay  he 
received  for  his  lectures,  he  used  to  walk  to  save 


202  OUR    BODILY  DWELLING. 

railroad  fare,  and  would  be  so  weary  in  the 
evening  that  both  voice  and  memory  were  weak- 
ened, and  he  did  not  find  out  for  some  years  that 
it  was  bodily  fatigue  that  had  exhausted  his  power 
of  speech,  thought  and  memory.  Nearly  every 
grown  person  knows  that  when  very  weary  he 
cannot  remember  even  the  things  he  knows  best. 
Exhaustive  exercise,  then,  should  not  be  taken 
just  before  we  need  to  use  our  brain. 

Sickness  weakens  the  memory,  and  various 
drugs,  taken  to  promote  sleep,  may  quite  destroy 
the  power  of  the  brain  to  remember.  Age  weak- 
ens the  memory  because  of  failure  of  nutrition 
through  diminished  blood  supply.  H.  L.  Hol- 
brook,  in  his  little  book  on  Memory,  claims  that 
old  people  can  restore  memory  by  persistently 
exercising  it.  His  plan  is  to  give  everything  close 
attention ;  to  recall  at  night  the  experiences  of  the 
day,  to  remember  the  pages  of  a  book  whereon  an 
interesting  fact  is  recorded,  to  commit  the  names 
of  public  men,  to  learn  poetry  or  the  Bible ;  and 
he  claims  that  this  plan  will  restore  the  failing 
memory  of  the  old.  A  wiser  plan  is  never  to  let 
the  memory  fail,  knowing  that  to  use  the  brain, 
to  intrust  facts  to  it,  to  compel  it  to  store  up 
words,  names,  and  incidents  will  keep  it  strong 
and  reliable,  and  make  of  it  a  never  failing  source  of 
wondrous  pleasure  both  to  one's  self  and  to  others. 


THE    LIBRARY.  203 


Each  sense  has  its  own  memory.  We  remember 
sounds,  sights,  colors,  sensations,  and  flavors ;  and 
if  two  or  more  senses  are  united  in  retaining  the 
impression,  the  more  distinct  it  will  be.  If,  for 
example,  we  want  to  gain  a  clear  idea  of  a  new 
fruit  so  as  to  remember  and  describe  it  perfectly, 
we  can  do  it  better  if  we  handle  it,  look  at  it,  smell 
of  it,  and  taste  it,  than  if  we  only  see  it,  or  if  we 
only  taste  it  without  seeing. 

Here  are  a  few  simple  rules  for  improving  or 
strengthening  the  memory.  First:  Never  try  to 
learn  too  much  at  a  time.  You  will  commit  a  poem 
faster  by  learning  one  line  at  a  time  and  four  lines 
a  day,  than  you  will  by  attempting  to  commit  the 
whole  poem  at  once.  Second  :  Understand  what 
you  are  trying  to  learn ;  if  you  don't  understand, 
it  becomes  a  collection  of  words  without  value. 
Third  :  Learn  something  every  day,  be  it  ever  so 
little.  Let  the  brain  understand  that  it  must  work 
continually  in  the  storing  away  of  memories. 
Fourth  :  Go  over  your  memory  lessons  often,  and, 
if  possible,  at  regular  times,  to  see  if  you  remember 
them.  Fifth:  Arrange  facts  to  be  remembered  in 
an  order  that  seems  naturally  to  connect  them,  so 
that,  if  possible,  one  will  suggest  the  other.  Sixth  : 
In  quoting,  be  careful  to  use  the  exact  words  of 
the  author  so  as  to  learn  with  precision  and  exact- 
ness  of    memory.      Seventh :    Make    abstracts    of 


204  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

things  desired  to  be  remembered.  To  write  them 
down  brings  in  the  eye  to  aid  the  mind.  To  remem- 
ber forms,  make  a  drawing,  if  possible,  for  the 
same  purpose.  Eighth :  In  travel,  have  a  map 
and  locate  on  it  towns,  streams,  etc.  In  reading, 
recall  the  location  of  places  mentioned  or  find 
them  on  the  map  if  not  familiar  with  them,  so  that 
you  will  have  an  idea  of  the  places  where  the 
events  narrated  occurred.  Attention,  repetition, 
and  classification  seem  to  be  the  most  important 
aids  to  memory. 

Mr.  Boring  likens  memorizing  to  photographing, 
and  sa}'s  four  things  are  needed  in  both  :  a  sensi- 
tive plate,  exposure,  a  developer,  and  a  fixative. 
In  memorizing,  the  mind  is  the  sensitive  plate ; 
placing  before  the  mind  the  object  to  be  remem- 
bered is  the  exposure;  attention  is  the  mental 
developer,  and  repetition  the  mental  fixative. 

We  have  a  musical  memory  which  enables  us  to 
recall  to  mind  the  music  that  we  have  heard,  or  to 
fix  in  the  memory  new  pieces  of  music,  so  that  we 
can  play  or  sing  them  without  the  notes ;  and  the 
memory  of  old  familiar  songs  and  hymns  becomes 
a  very  great  source  of  pleasure  as  we  advance  in 
years. 

The  library  of  Memory  is  one  that  we  must 
read  over  and  over  again  whether  we  will  or  not, 
for  our  memories  arc  really  ourselves.      If  we  could 


THE   LIBRARY.  205 


forget  all  our  sorrows  and  pains  and  recall  only 
our  joys  and  pleasures,  we  should,  in  reality,  have 
lost  a  great  part  of  ourselves,  and  as  we  cannot 
forget  if  we  would,  we  will  prove  our  wisdom  by 
reading  good  books,  choosing  wise  friends,  and 
doing  lovely  deeds,  for  these  will  add  not  only  to 
the  happiness  of  our  earthly  life  but  to  the  joys  of 
eternity. 

As  Charles  Kingsley  says:  — 

"Be  good,  dear  child,  and  let  who  will  be  clever; 
Do  noble  deeds,  not  dream  them  all  day  long; 
So  shalt  thou  make  life,  death,  and  that  vast  forever, 
One  grand,  sweet  song.  " 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE   PICTURE    GALLERY. 

MEMORY  is  not  only  a  library  but  also  a  pic- 
ture gallery.  Here  are  stored  away  many 
of  the  scenes  photographed  by  the  eye,  or  the  pic- 
tures which  at  various  times  Imagination  has 
painted.  We  begin  this  gallery  in  our  early  child- 
hood, and  among  the  first  pictures  placed  there 
are  pictures  of  father,  mother,  brothers,  and  sisters, 
the  old  home  and  school-house  — 

"  The  orchard,  the  meadow,  the  deep  tangled  wildwood, 
And  every  loved  spot  that  our  infancy  knew.  " 

Phoebe  Gary  says  :  — 

"  Among  the  beautiful  pictures, 
That  hang  on  Memory's  wall, 
Is  one  of  a  dim  old  forest. 

That  seemeth  the  best  of  all.  " 

And  we  find  that  the  poets  make  their  strongest 
appeals  to  our  hearts  when  they  are  talking  of  the 
fond  memories  of  their  childhood. 

"  I  remember,  I  remember. 

The  house  where  I  was  born; 
The  little  window  where  the  sun 
Came  creeping  in  at  morn,  " 

206 


THE  PICTURE    GALLERY.  207 

says  one.  Others  sing  of  ''  The  Old  House  at 
Home,  "  -  The  Old  Oaken  Bucket,  "  or  "  The  Old 
Swimming  Hole  " ;  and  every  time  they  sound  a 
note  it  puts  in  motion  those  tones  of  influence 
which  set  our  own  heart-strings  throbbing.  Blessed 
are  we,  if,  in  the  retrospect  of  child  life,  we  have 
only  beautiful  scenes  to  deck  the  walls  of  memory. 
Sometimes,  however,  there  are  scenes  we  would 
be  glad  to  forget — remembrances  of  deeds  we  once 
did  that  now  make  our  hearts  ache.  I  have  heard 
of  a  little  girl  who  was  asked  by  her  sick  mother 
to  bring  her  a  drink  of  water,  and  the  child  was 
unwilling,  and  went  away  and  stayed  all  day  at 
her  play,  and  came  home  at  night  to  find  her 
dear  mother  had  died.  What  a  sorrowful  picture 
to  look  at  during  the  long,  long  years  to  come. 

It  is  sometimes  hard  to  separate  the  Memory 
pictures  of  childhood  from  those  of  Imagination. 
We  used  perhaps  to  hear  someone  often  spoken 
of,  and  pictured  a  personality  belonging  to  the 
name  that  became  as  real  as  if  we  had  actually 
known  the  individual.  We  have  heard  of  some 
wonderful  deed  of  our  own  childhood  so  often 
related  that  we  imagine  we  really  remember  its 
occurrence.  Then,  too,  we  have  illustrated  the 
books  we  have  read  with  pictures  of  our  own 
imagination  so  that  they  are  almost  like  memory, 
so  real  do  they  seem.     You  have  imagined  Robin- 


208  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

son  Crusoe  in  his  island  dress  so  often  that  you 
would  recognize  him  if  you  were  to  meet  him  on 
the  street.  And  you  certainly  have  been  inside 
the  "  Old  Curiosity  Shop,"  and  have  seen  little 
Nell.  You  remember  perfectly  well  how  ridicu- 
lous "Alice  in  Wonderland"  looked  when  she 
nibbled  the  cake  and  her  neck  grew  so  long  and 
she  exclaimed,  "  Curiouser  and  curiouser  !  " 

Memory  and  Imagination  are  two  marvelous 
artists,  ever  busy  painting  for  you.  Come,  draw 
your  chair  to  the  fire,  close  your  eyes,  and  look  at 
the  scenes  they  delineate.  They  come  like  living 
creatures  trooping  across  your  mental  canvas,  one 
picture  fading  away  as  another  comes  to  take  its 
place.  Some  bring  us  smiles,  others  bring  tears, 
some  you  would  like  to  look  at  forever,  others  you 
would  fain  forget ;  but  there  they  are,  coming 
and  going,  indelibly  impressed  on  the  brain, 
each  day  adding  to  the  faces,  scenes,  and  land- 
scapes, a  collection  continually  increasing  from 
birth  to  death. 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

THE    CHAMBER    OF   PEACE. 

WE  have  learned  where,  in  the  brain,  He 
certain  centers  of  motion,  and  we  are  con- 
vinced that  there  are  centers  of  thought  and 
feeHng,  though  we  have  not  as  yet  located  them. 
We  ourselves  can  visit  the  hidden  chambers  in 
this  marvelous  upper  story  of  our  wonderful 
house,  but  we  cannot  teli  others  where  they  are  to 
be  found,  nor  may  we  take  even  our  dearest 
friends  with  us  into  their  secret  recesses. 

Some  of  these  apartments  are  not  very  delight- 
ful. They  may  be  dark  and  full  of  pictures  of 
evil,  and  it  makes  us  miserable  to  visit  them,  and 
yet  perhaps  we  love  to  linger  in  them.  The}^  are 
little  alcoves  connected  with  the  picture  gallery, 
and  we  employ  an  artist  called  Imagination  to 
paint  for  us  the  pictures  that  adorn  their  walls. 

There  is  a  Chamber  of  Hatred,  and  for  this 
Imagination  paints  dark,  forbidding  scenes,  in 
which  we  see  ourselves  doing  unkind  things  to 
wound  or  injure  those  we  do  not  love,  and  we 
take  an  evil  pleasure  in  imagining  the  pain  or 
grief  we  can  cause. 

209 


210  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING, 

There  is  the  Chamber  of  Envy,  and  here  we  sit 
while  ImaginSwOn  paints  the  fine  carriages  and 
horses,  elegant  houses,  splendid  dwellings,  and 
dresses,  the  beautiful  faces  and  desirable  belong- 
ings that  someone  owns,  and  we  say,  **  Oh,  I  wish 
I  owned  them  !  "  and  then  we  are  very  unhappy 
because  they  are  not  ours.  To  linger  long  in  this 
room  is  very  dangerous,  for  sometimes  a  dark 
spirit  called  Temptation  creeps  in  and  whispers  to 
us  that  we  might  possess  ourselves  of  some  of 
these  belongings  of  others.  Theft,  murder,  and 
all  sorts  of  crime  are  planned  in  this  dark  cham- 
ber. Oh,  let  us  hurry  away  from  the  Chamber  of 
Envy  and  shut  the  door  so  tight  that  the  evil 
Temptation  will  be  imprisoned  therein  never  to 
get  out,  because  we  will  not  open  the  door. 

The  Chamber  of  Selfishness,  I  think,  must  be 
the  central  room  around  which  all  the  other  dark 
alcoves  are  gathered.  In  this  room  Imagination 
paints  many  strange  scenes.  He  delineates  us 
just  as  we  think  we  are,  and  then  we  fancy  that 
people  do  not  pay  us  enough  attention.  He 
shows  us  the  beautiful  possessions  of  others  and 
contrasts  them  with  our  own  meager  belongings, 
and  we  are  jcal-^us  and  unhappy.  If  we  feel 
moved  to  do  a  generous  deed  and  chance  to  slip 
into  the  Chamber  of  Selfishness,  we  at  once  see  a 
picture  of  how  much  trouble  it  will  be  and  of  how 


THE    CHAMBER    OF  PEACE.  211 

little  gratitude  we  will  receive  in  return,  so  we 
close  the  door  and  stay  shut  in  with  ourselves,  and 
then  perhaps  wonder  why  we  are  so  unhappy. 

There  are  many  dark  rooms  that  we  visit,  but 
let  us  look  away  from  these  to  the  bright  and 
lovely  chambers  wherein  Man  finds  peace  and 
comfort.  These  charming  rooms  are  alcoves  sur- 
rounding one  central  apartment,  the  Chamber  of 
Love,  and  here  Imagination  paints  with  bright  and 
glowing  colors  the  most  entrancing  scenes.  I 
picture  this  Chamber  of  Love  as  a  circular  room 
with  a  dome-like  roof,  azure-tinted,  glowing  with 
a  soft  ethereal  light  reflected  from  the  ceiling  and 
from  the  exquisite  pictures  upon  the  walls :  pic- 
tures in  which  kindly,  unselfish  deeds  are  depicted 
in  all  their  beauty.  How  often  the  faces  of  father, 
mother,  sister,  or  friend  appear  in  these  scenes : 
the  faces  of  those  whom  we  love  and  for  whom  it 
is  so  easy  to  do  some  deed  of  kindness !  But 
brightest  of  all  are  the  portrayals  of  lovely  things 
we  have  said  and  done  to  someone  who  has  been 
unkind  to  us ;  and  as  we  look,  words  of  golden 
light  gleam  out  upon  the  walls  and  we  read, 
**  Love  them  that  hate  you;"  ''Perfect  love  cast- 
eth  out  fear;"  "God  is  love;"  and  our  hearts 
grow  tender,  and  gentle  tears  fall  from  our  eyes, 
and  we  feel  inspired  with  impulses  toward  all  that 
is  holy  and  best 


212  OUR    BODILY  DWELLING. 

And  then  the  doorway  opens  into  the  most 
secret  and  lovely  room  of  all,  the  Chamber  of 
Peace,  wherein  we  meet  and  talk  with  the  spirit  of 
Divine  Love.  I  think  this  was  the  room  that 
Jesus  was  thinking  of  when  he  said,  "  Enter  into 
thy  closet,  and  when  thou  hast  shut  the  door  pray 
to  thy  Father  which  is  in  secret,  and  thy  Father 
which  seeth  in  secret  shall  reward  thee  openly." 
He  did  not  mean  a  closet  of  the  house  we  have 
built  for  ourselves,  but  he  meant  a  secret  room 
within  ourselves,  a  place  where  the  world  can  be 
shut  out  and  we  can  find  rest  and  peace.  I  fear 
we  do  not  seek  this  room  as  often  as  we  might, 
for  here  are  the  great  stores  of  comfort  for  every 
sorrow,  of  rest  in  all  weariness,  of  strength  in  all 
trial.  It  does  not  matter  that  we  do  not  know 
just  where,  in  the  material  brain,  this  Chamber  of 
Peace  is  located,  we  can  learn  the  way  thither: 

"  Too  eager  I  must  not  be  to  understand 
How  should  the  work  the  Master  goes  about 
Fit  the  vague  sketch  my  compasses  have  planned. 
I  am  1 1  is  house  —  for  Him  to  go  in  and  out. 
He  builds  me  now, —  and  if  I  cannot  see 
At  any  time  what  He  is  doing  with  me, 
'T  is  that  He  makes  the  house  for  me  too  grand. 

"  The  house  is  not  for  me,  it  is  for  Him; 
His  royal  thoughts  require  many  a  stair, 
Many  a  tower,  many  an  outlook  fair, 
Of  which  I  have  no  thought,  and  need  no  care. 
Where  I  am  most  perplexed,  it  may  l)e  there 
Thou  makest  a  secret  chamber,  holy,  dim, 
Where  Thou  wilt  come  to  help  my  deepest  prayer." 

—  George  Macdonald 


"  Thou  who  hast  made  my  home  of  life  so  pleasant, 
Leave  not  its  tenant  when  its  walls  decay; 
O  Love  divine,  O  Helper  ever  present, 
Be  Thou  my  strength  and  stay." 

—  "jfohii  Greenleaf  Whittier, 


214 


PART  11. 


The  Guests  Man  Entertains  in  His 
Bodily  Dwelling. 


S15 


CHAPTER  I. 

HELPFUL    GUESTS. 

"  A  MAN  is  known  by  the  company  he  keeps," 
-^~~^  says  the  old  adage,  and  I  think  we  can  judge 
pretty  well  of  a  person  whom  we  have  never  seen 
if  we  know  his  company.  If  he  associates  with 
refined,  intelligent,  Christian  people,  we  can  guess 
that  he  himself  is  of  the  same  character.  If  his 
friends  are  dissolute,  profane  loafers,  we  know  at 
once  that  he  is  not  an  industrious,  moral  man.  It 
is  also  true  that  a  man's  house  will  tell  something 
about  him  and  his  companions.  When  a  house 
shows  taste  in  its  construction,  neatness  and  care 
in  its  keeping,  we  judge  by  these  things  of  the  man 
who  owns  it,  and  we  quickly  form  an  opinion 
about  him. 

The  appearance  of  the  body  indicates  very 
clearly  what  kind  of  guests  are  entertained  therein, 
for  all  visitors  may  be  classed  under  two  heads, 
constructive  and  destructive.  They  come  either  to 
build  up  or  tear  down,  and  the  effects  of  their 
work  are  seen  on  the  outside  of  the  house  The 
builders   keep   him   plump  and   rosy,  with  bright 

217 


218  .OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

eyes,  active  limbs,  and  a  general  appearance  of 
well  being.  The  destroyers  make  him  very  pale 
and  thin,  or  they  fill  him  up  with  a  poor  quality 
of  material  and  make  him  look  too  fat.  They  take 
the  brightness  out  of  his  eyes  and  the  strength  from 
his  limbs.  It  is  therefore  very  important  that  man 
should  entertain  only  those  who  come  to  help 
him  keep  his  house  in  repair,  and  these  are  called 
foods. 

Man  chooses  his  own  guests,  but  he  often  invites 
to  his  house  those  that  injure  him.  He  does  not 
know  their  true  character.  He  thinks  them  friendly 
because  they  have  a  fine  appearance ;  or  Taste 
says  he  likes  them,  and  so  they  are  invited  in  over 
and  over  again,  and  do  great  mischief  before  he 
finds  them  out.  If  we  ought  to  choose  many  com- 
panions with  great  care,  it  should  be  those  who 
are  to  come  in  and  dwell  with  us  and  become  a 
part  of  our  household. 

The  first  and  most  important  food-guest  is  Oxy- 
gen. He  comes  in  with  Aura  on  her  first  visit 
and  begins  his  beneficent  work ;  in  truth.  Aura 
comes  principally  to  bring  Oxygen,  and  his  busi- 
ness is  to  cleanse  the  impure  blood  from  its  dark 
color  to  the  bright  scarlet  of  pure  blood.  The 
blood  could  not  do  its  work  in  any  part  of  the 
body  if  it  were  not  plentifully  supplied  with  oxy- 
gen.   We   are  told   that  a   man  who  is  at  rest  con- 


HELPFUL    G  VESTS.  ^  219 

sumes  twenty-two  cubic  feet  of  oxygen  in  a  day ; 
and,  of  course,  if  he  is  at  work,  he  will  consume 
much  more.  When  we  remember  that  we  con- 
sume about  one  twenty-fifth  of  the  oxygen  that  is 
brought  into  the  lungs  by  the  air,  and  that  the  air 
is  only  one-fifth  oxygen  we  get  some  idea  of  how 
necessary  it  is  that  the  air  of  rooms  and  houses 
should  be  constantly  changing  so  that  oxygen 
may  be  renewed,  for  you  will  remember  that  car- 
bonic acid  gas  is  thrown  out  at  each  breath  and 
poisons  the  air.  It  is  the  business  of  air  to  bring 
in  oxygen,  and  to  take  out  carbonic  acid  gas.  We 
think  it  very  important  that  we  should  eat  three 
times  a  day  but  we  sometimes  forget  that  this  most 
important  food,  oxygen,  should  freely  enter  our 
house  eighteen  or  twenty  times  a  minute. 

The  second  guest  brought  to  our  house  is  a  pale, 
sweet  creature  called  Milk.  Although  she  looks 
so  delicate,  and  we  sometimes  sneer  at  her  as  being 
**  only  food  for  babies,  "  she  is  in  reality  a  perfect 
food,  bringing  with  her  everything  needed  to  keep 
our  house  in  repair.  Milk  is  albumen,  sugar,  fat, 
and  a  small  amount  of  mineral  matter,  dissolved 
in  water,  which  you  see  makes  it  ready  at  once  to 
be  easily  assimilated.  It  is  especially  suited  to 
infants,  as  they  at  first  have  no  saliva  to  digest 
starch,  and  cannot  appropriate  such  foods  as  arrow- 
root, rice,  sago,  and  similar  things,  which  are  often 


220  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 


unwisely  fed  to  them.  After  a  few  months  the 
saHvary  glands  begin  to  work,  and  then  starches 
can  be  digested. 

You  will  remember  that  the  foods  are  divided 
into  albuminoids,  amyloids,  sugars,  oils  or  fats, 
and  salts,  and  that  the  albuminoids  are  also  called 
nitrogenous  foods  as  they  contain  nitrogen,  an 
important  part  of  the  tissues  but  not  contained  in 
all  the  foods.  The  most  important  albuminoid 
foods  are  milk,  eggs,  meat,  fish,  and  grains. 
Starches,  sugars,  and  fats  are  also  classed  as 
carbo-hydrates,  and  these  are  largely  found  in  the 
vegetable  kingdom.  They  are  the  foods  that 
make  fat,  heat  and  energy  but  are  not  built  into 
tissue.  As  foods  they  are  very  important,  but 
alone  will  not  build  up  the  body.  We  find  these 
different  elements  combined  in  various  propor- 
tions in  different  foods,  and  that  is  why  we  need 
to  eat  a  variety  so  as  to  be  sure  to  get  all  that  is 
necessary  to  maintain  the  body  in  health.  Some 
foods  contain  the  right  proportio^i  much  more 
nearly  than  others. 

Milk  and  eggs  are  nearly  perfect  foods;  they 
contain  no  starch.  Wheat  is  considered  as  the 
standard  food.  It  contains  nitrogen  and  the 
carbo-hydrates  in  nearly  the  right  proportion,  but 
has  not  sufficient  fat,  and  for  that  reason  we  eat 
butter  with  bread.    I  mean  whole  wheat,  not  white 


HELPFUL    GUESTS.  221 

flour,  which  has  too  large  a  proportion  of  starch; 
so  to  eat  white  bread  alone  would  be  to  take  in 
too  much  starch,  and  it  would  be  necessary  to  eat 
something  else  to  supply  albumen. 

One  of  the  most  important  foods  is  water,  as 
the  body  is  itself  nearly  three-fourths  water,  and 
a  great  quantity  of  the  waste  material  passes  out 
in  the  form  of  water.  We  find  that  a  large  pro- 
portion of  the  food  that  we  eat  is  water,  but  we 
need  also  to  drink.  It  has  been  stated  that  the 
quantity  of  solid  food  that  an  adult  man,  doing  an 
average  amount  of  work,  should  take  in  during 
one  day  is  twenty-three  ounces ;  the  quantity  of 
water  between  sixty  and  seventy  ounces.  You 
feel  rather  inclined  to  dispute  my  statement  that 
the  body  is  largely  made  up  of  water,  but  the 
chemist  tells  us  that  even  the  bones  are  one-eighth 
water.  Fruits  are  very  important  foods  because 
they  contain  a  great  deal  of  water,  and  also  a  large 
amount  of  salts;  I  did  n't  say  salt,  but  salts  — 
that  is  the  term  used  for  inorganic  foods. 

We  have  as  yet  only  talked  of  the  organic 
foods :  that  is,  those  that  are  formed  of  living 
structures,  as  plants  or  animals,  but  we  find  in  the 
body  other  elements,  called  inorganic,  which  are 
not  found  in  living  structures ;  these  are  soda, 
potash,  iron,  lime,  silica,  and  so  on.  These,  being 
found  in  the  body,  must  be  supplied  in  the  food. 


222  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

We  cannot  eat  iron,  lime,  or  these  inorganic  sub- 
stances in  their  crude  state,  but  plants  can.  They 
take  from  the  soil  all  these  substances  and  make 
them  over  into  themselves,  and  then  we  get  them 
from  the  plants.  If  we  do  not  eat  foods  which 
contain  these  inorganic  substances  in  sufhcient 
quantities,  we  break  down.  The  bones  contain  a 
great  deal  of  lime,  and  if  they  cannot  find  it  in  the 
food,  they  become  curved  and  twisted  and  the 
body  grows  out  of  shape. 

Phosphorous  is  an  inorganic  substance  needed 
to  build  up  nerves  and  brain ;  silica  is  used  in  the 
hair  and  nails ;  and  when  we  look  about  to  see 
where  we  can  find  these  substances  made  over  for 
our  own  use,  we  learn  that  phosphorous  is  found 
especially  in  the  germ  of  grains,  and  silica  in  their 
outer  covering,  and  this  is  another  reason  why  we 
should  not  bolt  our  flour  but  should  leave  in  it 
the  elements  as  they  were  placed  there  by  God 
himself.  James  Russell  Lowell  says,  *'  Behind  the 
nutty  loaf  is  the  mill-wheel ;  behind  the  mill- 
wheel  is  the  wheat-field ;  on  the  wheat-field  rests 
the  sunlight;    above  the  sun  is  God." 

If  we  were  to  invite  into  our  bodily  dwelling 
only  those  guests  which  build  us  up,  and  these  in 
the  right  proportion,  it  is  doubtful  if  we  should 
ever  know  much  about  sickness.  This  being  the 
case,  would  it  not  be  well  to  study  the   matter 


HELPFUL    GUESTS.  223 

carefully,  not  considering  merely  what  tastes  good, 
but  what  is  needed  to  keep  us  in  repair,  and  to 
avoid  those  things  which  are  destructive?  Great 
and  good  men  have  at  all  times  given  thought  to 
the  subject  of  food  and  have  left  on  record  many 
wise  sayings  in  regard  to  it.  If  we  knew  the  value 
of  various  kinds  of  food,  we  might  even  cure  dis- 
eases by  selecting  a  proper  article  of  diet  instead 
of  using  drugs.  Dr.  Hunter,  a  very  eminent  phy- 
sician, and  a  sufferer  from  gout,  found  apples  a 
remedy,  and  insisted  that  all  his  patients  should 
use  apples  instead  of  wine  and  roast  beef.  Pro- 
fessor Farrady  says,  "  If  families  could  be  induced 
to  substitute  the  apple  (round,  ripe  and  luscious) 
for  the  pie,  cake,  candy,  and  other  sweetmeats 
with  which  children  are  so  often  stuffed,  there 
would  be  a  diminution  of  doctor's  bills."  Many 
of  the  ancient  writers  have  left  on  record  their 
belief  in  a  simple  diet,  often  entirely  discarding 
animal  food.  Socrates  says,  "  To  fare  well  implies 
the  partaking  of  such  food  as  does  not  disagree 
with  body  and  mind  ;  hence  only  those  fare  well 
who  live  temperately."  In  ancient  Greece  the 
food  was  plain  and  simple,  and  the  athletes  were 
trained  entirely  on  vegetable  food.  We  use  the 
word  vegetarian  for  one  who  eats  only  vegetables, 
but  I  have  seen  it  stated  that  the  word  is  derived 
from    the     Latin    vegetus,    which     means     strong, 


224  OUR    BODILY  DWELLING. 

robust  and  hardy,  and  it  is  perhaps  because  vege- 
table food  tends  to  health  that  we  have  come  to 
call  those  who  eat  it,  vegetarians. 

It  is  claimed  by  those  who  object  to  animal  food 
that  Milton  was  a  vegetarian,  and  that  Newton 
wrote  his  "Principia"  while  living  entirely  on 
vegetable  food.  It  is  known  that  Shelley  ate  no 
meat.  It  is  said  by  Xenophon,  that  Cyrus,  king 
of  Persia,  was  brought  up  on  a  diet  of  water,  bread 
and  cresses  till  his  fifteenth  year,  when  honey  and 
raisins  were  added.  Xenophon  also  describes  the 
outfit  of  a  Spartan  soldier  who  lived  principally 
on  bread  and  dried  fruit.  His  ordinary  outfit 
weighed  seventy-five  pounds,  which  was  often 
increased  to  a  full  hundred,  and  this  load  was 
often  carried  at  the  rate  of  four  miles  an  hour  for 
twelve  hours  a  day,  many  days  in  succession;  so, 
even  if  we  do  not  admit  that  it  is  best  to  give  up 
meat  eating  entirely,  we  must  confess  that  health 
and  strength  can  be  maintained  without  meat,  and 
certainly  there  is  more  that  is  pleasing  to  think  of 
in  the  fields  of  ripened  grain,  in  the  fruits  hanging 
from  the  boughs,  than  there  is  in  the  slaughter  of 
animals. 

Ancient  Gauls,  who  were  very  brave  and  strong, 
lived  on  milk,  berries  and  herbs.  Their  bread  was 
made  of  nuts,  and  they  had  a  strange  fashion  of 
wearing  a  metal  ring  around   the  body  the  size  of 


HELPFUL    GUESTS.  225 

which  was  regulated  by  law.  If  any  man  grew 
larger  around  than  his  ring,  he  was  thought  to  be 
a  lazy  glutton  and  consequently  was  disgraced. 
Certainly,  the  motto  of  that  people  must  have 
been  one  which  would  be  wise  for  us  all  to  adopt: 
"  Let  appetite  wear  reason's  golden  chain,  and 
find  in  due  restraint  its  luxury." 


CHAPTER  II. 

SPICY  VISITORS. 

^"^  7HEN  I  began  to  speak  of  foods  as  visitors 
'  "^  to  our  bodily  dwelling,  I  did  not  realize  how 
much  they  are  like  real  folks.  We  all  know  peo- 
ple who  are  plain  and  unpretending,  but  so  reli- 
able and  trustworthy  that  we  value  them  exceed- 
ingly. We  are  glad  to  see  them  every  day,  and 
if  in  need  of  friends,  we  call  for  them  instead  of 
our  more  showy  companions.  We  sometimes  say 
of  such  a  one  that  he  is  "  as  good  as  gold.  "  The 
Italians  have  a  better  saying:  **  He  is  as  good  as 
bread,  "  and  that  is  a  great  compliment.  What  is 
better  than  good,  honest  plain  bread  when  we  are 
in  need  of  food?  Such  constant  friends  as  bread, 
meat  and  potatoes  we  are  glad  to  welcome  every 
day  as  helpful  guests. 

We  enjoy  occasional  visits  from  people  who  are 
very  sweet,  but  if  they  come  too  often  or  stay  too 
long,  we  get  very  tired  of  them.  This  is  true  of 
sweet  foods,  they  cloy  the  appetite ;  we  can  take 
them  along  with  plainer  foods,  but  they  are  a  poor 
dependence  for  the  work  of  building  us  up. 
226 


SPICY   VISITORS.  227 

Then  there  are  people  who  are  so  lively,  so  clever, 
their  wit  is  so  pungent,  their  jests  so  spicy,  that  their 
coming  stirs  us  up  into  unwonted  activity,  and  when 
they  are  gone  we  say  we  "  just  feel  all  tired  out." 
Such  guests  sometimes  come  to  our  marvelous 
house.  We  call  them  condiments.  They  are  known, 
more  particularly  as  pepper,  mustard,  spices, 
sauces,  etc.  Many  people  have  accustomed  them- 
selves to  foods  so  highly  seasoned  that  they  can- 
not enjoy  the  flavor  of  the  food,  just  as  people 
become  so  fond  of  society  that  entertains  that  they 
can't  enjoy  a  good  serious,  sensible  conversation, 
and  that  is  unfortunate.  But  these  spicy  food 
guests  are,  in  truth,  more  to  be  avoided  than  spicy 
people.  They  are  not  builders,  they  are  sources 
of  irritation.  Mustard  on  the  outside  of  the  body 
produces  a  blister,  and  can  you  imagine  anyone 
blistering  himself  because  he  enjoys  it?  Why  then 
should  he  like  to  irritate  in  the  same  way  the  more 
sensitive  mucous  membrane  of  the  mouth  and 
stomach?  The  same  may  be  said  of  pepper  and 
all  pungent,  biting  substances ;  they  irritate  and 
cause  inflammation  of  the  mucous  membrane. 
Every  physiology  mentions  Alexis  St.,  Martin,  a 
man  in  Canada,  who  in  1848  had  a  wound  in  his 
stomach  which  healed  up  leaving  a  flap  of  flesh 
that  could  be  pushed  aside,  giving  a  view  of  the 
inside  of  the  stomach  and  what  it  was  doing.     For- 


228  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

tunately  for  science,  the  doctor  who  had  him  in 
charge  was  wise  enough  to  improve  his  oppor- 
tunity and  because  of  this  we  now  know,  as  never 
before,  some  of  the  secrets  of  our  bodily  kitchen. 

Dr.  Beaumont  reports  that  when  St.  Martin  took 
pepper  and  other  condiments  with  his  food,  the 
mucous  membrane  of  the  stomach  grew  red,  just 
as  the  eye  would  if  the  same  substances  were  put 
into  it.  Why  do  we  like  them  then,  if  they  are 
so  irritating?  I  doubt  if  we  do  like  them  natu- 
rally. Did  you  ever  see  a  baby  that  wanted  pep- 
per? I  never  did.  I  have  seen  children  two  or 
three  years  old  who  would  pepper  their  food,  but 
they  did  it  at  first  because  they  saw  the  older 
people  do  it,  and  after  a  time  they  grew  to  be  fond 
of  these  things.  It  is  one  peculiarity  of  our  bodies 
that  they  can  soon  accustom  themselves  to  very 
hurtful  things  and  seem  to  miss  them  when  they  are 
taken  away.  I  once  heard  of  a  woman  who  could 
not  sleep  after  her  snoring  husband  died  unless 
someone  ground  the  coffee  mill  in  her  room,  but  I 
suppose  none  of  us  would  think  that  an  argu- 
ment in  favor  of  snoring  as  a  lullaby.  If  the  story 
is  true,  which  is  doubtful,  it  only  illustrates  the  fact 
that  we  can  become  accustomed  to  very  disagree- 
able things.  In  the  case  of  condiments,  such  as 
pepper  and  mustard,  the  nerves  of  sensation  com- 
plain at  first  of   their  biting,  but   by  and   by  they 


SPICY   VISITORS,  229 

find  complaining  does  no  good,  so  they  keep  quiet 
and  finally  end  by  liking  to  be  bitten.  It  Is 
another  illustration  of  Pope's  lines  concerning  vice. 
He  says : 

"  Vice  is  a  monster  of  so  frightful  mien, 
That  to  be  hated  needs  but  to  be  seen. 
But  seen  too  oft,  familiar  with  her  face, 
We  first  endure,  then  pity,  then  embrace. " 

So  it  is  with  these  stimulating  substances,  for  all 
condiments  are  stimulants,  and  stimulants  are 
things  that  get  m^ore  work  out  of  you,  without 
putting  strength  into  you,  and  that  is  not  desira- 
ble. The  spices  we  add  to  foods  do  not  build  up 
any  tissues  of  the  body,  but  they  act  like  spurs  or 
whips,  to  excite  the  nerves  and  mucous  membrane 
to  greater  activity.  But  do  they  not  help  diges- 
tion? A  series  of  experiments  has  been  con- 
ducted by  Dr.  J.  H.  Kellogg,  at  the  Battle  Creek, 
Mich.,  Sanitarium.  He  gave  a  breakfast  to  a 
healthy  young  man,  and  an  hour  after,  by  means 
of  a  stomach  pump,  took  it  away,  and  had  a 
chemical  analysis  made  of  it  to  learn  the  effects 
of  different  substances,  and  he  learned  that  all 
condiments  actually  retard  digestion. 

One  fact  in  regard  to  condiments,  that  to  me  Is 
an  argument  against  them,  is  that  their  use  must 
be  Increased  to  maintain  our  enjoyment  of  them, 
which  Is  not  true  of  the  foods,  and  this  proves  that 


230  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

their  use  deadens  the  nerves  of  sensation.  This, 
of  course,  lessens  our  power  to  appreciate  deUcate 
flavors.  Where  the  mucous  membrane  of  the 
mouth  and  stomach  is  seared  and  burned  by  high 
and  unnecessary  seasoning,  the  bland  and  ethereal 
flavor  of  food,  as  God  gave  it  to  us,  is  lost,  and  so 
we  actually  miss  the  highest  enjoyment  of  eating 
in  our  unwise  effort  to  create  new  pleasures  of 
jippetite. 


CHAPTER  III. 

QUESTIONABLE    GUESTS. 

IT  is  not  a  very  welcome  task  to  warn  people 
against  those  whom  they  believe  to  be  their  true 
friends,  but  it  is  sometimes  our  duty,  and  there- 
fore should  be  bravely  done.  I  hope  you  young 
people  have  as  yet  never  made  the  intimate 
acquaintance  of  two  foreigners  who  are  frequent 
guests  in  the  bodily  house,  although,  no  doubt, 
you  are  very  familiar  with  their  appearance.  One 
of  them  has  a  dark  com.plexion,  and  is  rather 
bitter,  unless  associated  with  milk  and  sugar.  His 
name  is  Cojfea  Arabica,  and  you  know  him  as 
coffee.  He  was  introduced  into  England  and 
France  about  two  hundred  years  ago  ;  so  if  you 
think  people  cannot  get  along  without  coffee,  you 
have  only  to  study  up  what  was  done  in  France 
and  England  in  deeds  of  bravery  or  in  literature 
before  coffee  was  ever  known.  Coffee  is  a  native 
of  Abyssinia.  It  found  its  way  into  Arabia  in  the 
sixth  century  and  probably  as  a  substitute  for  wine 
when  that  drink  was  prohibited  by  the  Koran. 
By  the  sixteenth  century,  it  had  reached  Cairo  in 

231 


232  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

Egypt;  but  here  the  great  men  rose  up  against 
it,  and  declared  it  contrary  to  the  law  of  their 
prophet  and  injurious  to  both  soul  and  body. 
Ministers  preached  against  it,  and  it  doubtless 
would  have  been  abandoned  had  not  the  Sultan 
come  to  its  aid  and  declared  it  to  be  not  objec- 
tionable. In  Constantinople  and  also  in  Italy,  it 
met  with  opposition  both  from  the  clergymen  and 
the  physicians.  Medical  science  to-day  calls  coffee 
a  stimulant,  and  the  testimony  of  physicians  would 
certainly  induce  us  to  be  wary  of  making  a  friend 
of  coffee. 

Professor  Hitchcock  says  the  bewitching  influ- 
ence both  of  tea  and  coffee  lies  in  their  narcotic 
property.  Dr.  Bartholow  says :  "  If  used  to 
excess  as  a  beverage,  coffee  deranges  the  organs 
of  digestion,  producing  acidity,  flatulence,  pyrosis, 
eructations,  headache,  vertigo,  ringing  in  the  ears, 
and  wakefulness."  Dr.  Emmett,  another  author- 
ity, says :  "  I  find  coffee,  even  when  weak,  to 
exert  a  very  deleterious  influence,  in  consequence 
of  its  direct  influence  on  nutrition.  Whenever  a 
patient  has  become  addicted  to  the  use  of  stimu- 
lants, anodynes,  or  coffee,  an  effort  must  be  made 
at  once,  without  a  compromise,  to  break  up  the 
dependence  upon  either  of  these  insidious  poisons 
to  the  nervous  system." 

It  is  sometimes  said  as  an  argument  in  favor  of 


QUESTIONABLE   GUESTS.  233 

coffee  that  it  is  an  indirect  food  because  it  checks 
waste.  In  the  healthy  body  the  checking  of  normal 
waste  is  not  desirable. 

A  very  serious  objection  to  the  use  of  coffee  by 
young  people  is  that  it  satisfies  the  desire  for  food 
without  contributing  any  constructive  material  for 
the  nourishment  of  the  body.    Children  and  young 
people  are  continually  growing  by  the  addition  of 
new  material  to  their  bodily  organs ;    they  there- 
fore   need  to  eat  plenty  of  nourishing  food,  and 
if    coffee    satisfies   the  appetite    so  that  they  are 
inclined     to     eat    less    than     the    body     actually 
demands,  it  is  easy  to  understand  that  it  is  doing 
the  body  an  injury.      Many  people  imagine  that 
the  powers  of  intellect  are  increased  by  the  use  of 
coffee.     Dr.  Kitchen  says:      "The  great  damage 
from  coffee  is  brain-wear.**     The  testimony  of  a 
man   with    originally    good     intellect    and    moral 
powers  as  to  its  effect  both  upon  mind  and  morals 
will  be  of  value.     "  When  I  awake,"  he  says,  *'  I 
have  the  intelligence  and  activity  of  an  oyster,  but 
immediately  after  coffee,  stores  of  memory  leap, 
so    to    speak,   to    the    tongue,  and    talkativeness, 
haste,  and   the  letting  slip  something  we  should 
not   have   mentioned   are  often   the  consequence. 
Moderation    and    prudence    are    always    wanting. 
The  cold,  reflective  seriousness  of  our  forefathers, 
the  solid  firmness  of   their  wills,  resolutions  and 


234  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING, 

judgment,  the  duration  of  their  not  speedy  but 
powerful  and  judicious  bodily  movements, —  all 
this  noble,  original  impress  of  our  nature  disap- 
pears before  this  medicinal  beverage,  and  gives 
way  to  over-hasty  attempts,  rash  resolutions, 
immature  decisions,  levity  and  fickleness,  talka- 
tiveness, inconstancy,  and  rapid  mobility  of  the 
muscles." 

The  statement  is  made  that  caries  of  the  bones 
in  young  children  is  connected  with  the  use  of 
coffee.  It  produces  also  a  species  of  fever  some- 
times called  children's  hectic.  Their  faces  become 
pale,  and  their  flesh  soft,  and  when  they  have 
learned  to  walk,  their  step  is  very  unsteady,  appe- 
tite is  feeble,  they  do  not  grow  naturally,  they  are 
apt  to  be  timid,  discontented,  to  sleep  badly,  are 
troubled  with  sore  eyes,  and  their  teeth  come  with 
difhculty.  Increase  of  heart  disease  is  also,  by 
some  physicians,  attributed  to  the  increased  use 
of  coffee. 

The  other  foreigner  is  named  Thea  Chinensis^ 
but  he  is  generally  known  as  Tea,  and  from  his 
complexion  designated  as  Green  Tea  or  Black 
Tea.  In  the  quaint  diary  of  Mr.  Pepys  we  find 
the  entry  Sept.  25,  1660:  "I  sent  for  a  cup  of 
tee  —  a  China  drink,  of  which  I  had  never  drunk 
before."  So  we  see  that  until  nearly  that  date, 
tea  had    been   unknown   in  England :     and   when 


QUESTIONABLE    GUESTS.  235 

people  tell  us  that  tea  is  an  assistant  in  mental 
work,  we  can  point  to  them  the  fact  that  a  good 
deal  of  fine  intellectual  work  was  done  in  the 
world  before  tea  was  known.  In  those  days  the 
facts  of  physiology  and  hygiene  were  not  known 
as  they  now  are  and  people  judged  of  food  and 
drinks,  as  many  yet  do,  by  their  feelings,  and,  as 
tea  and  coffee  made  them,  for  the  time  being, 
''feel  good,"  they  very  naturally  supposed  them 
to  be  good,  and  attributed  many  virtues  to  them. 
As  we  are  very  desirous  of  keeping  our  bodily 
dwellings  in  repair,  we  will  certainly  be  willing  to 
hear  frank  statements  of  scientists  in  regard  to  tea 
and  coffee. 

The  Rev.  John  Wesley  leaves  on  record  that  he 
discovered  that  tea  gave  him  symptoms  of  paraly- 
sis in  a  shakiness  of  his  hands  which  ceased  when 
he  quit  tea-drinking.  Dr.  Beddoes,  of  England, 
demonstrated  that  a  strong  decoction  of  tea  is 
destructive  of  life,  both  human  and  animal. 

Dr.  Beaumont,  who  had  charge  of  Alexis  St. 
Martin,  of  whom  we  have  before  spoken,  observed 
the  effect  of  tea  and  coffee  upon  the  lining  mem- 
brane of  the  stomach,  and  says  that  their  use  has 
a  tendency  to  delibitate  the  digestive  organs.  Hot 
drinks  injure  the  teeth,  the  gums,  the  lining  of  the 
stomach,  and  so,  indirectly,  the  whole  system. 
People  who  drink  much  while  eating  do  not  chew 


236  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 


their  food  enough  and  so  do  not  mix  it  thor- 
oughly with  saliva,  and  Dr.  Beaumont  discovered 
that  swallowing  food  not  perfectly  masticated 
produced  eruptions  and  ulceration  of  the  mucous 
membrane  of  the  stomach.  It  is  said  of  tea  as  of 
coffee,  that  it  lessens  the  waste  of  tissue,  and 
therefore  is  an  indirect  food.  Of  this  fact,  Dr. 
Page  says  that  to  interfere  with,  or  to  hinder  any 
of  the  normal  processes  of  the  organism,  especially 
those  most  vital  to  the  constant  breaking  down 
and  excretion  of  tissue,  is  not  only  to  invite 
disease,  but  the  impairment  of  those  functions 
constitutes  disease. 

Prof.  Albert  B.  Prescott,  of  the  University  of 
Michigan,  who,  as  a  chemist,  has  investigated  the 
properties  of  tea  and  coffee,  says  that  the  caffein 
of  the  one  and  the  thein  of  the  other  are  built  on 
the  chemical  type  of  the  alkaloid,  a  class  of  bodies 
which  nature  forms  in  plants  but  not  in  food- 
plants.  This  class  of  bodies  includes  narcotics, 
stimulants,  hypnotics,  deliriant  poisons,  which 
either  excite  or  depress  the  nervous  system. 

Dr.  Richardson,  a  physician  and  great  scientist, 
asserts  that  the  misery  of  the  women  of  the  poorer 
classes  of  England  is  more  than  doubled  by  the 
use  of  tea.  Dr.  Ferguson,  an  eminent  physician, 
studying  the  effects  of  tea  and  coffee  upon  the 
health  and   growth   of  children,  says  that  children 


QUESTIONABLE   GUESTS.  237 

allowed  those  beverages  average  a  gain  of  four 
pounds  a  year  between  the  ages  of  thirteen  and 
sixteen,  while  those  who  were  given  milk  instead, 
average  fifteen  pounds  a  year  gain  in  the  same 
period. 

Is  not  all  this  testimony  sufificient  to  make  us, 
who  have  not  yet  made  the  intimate  acquaintance 
of  these  two  foreigners,  say  we  will  not  put  our- 
selves into  the  power  of  companions  who  bring  us 
nothing  of  good  but  are  so  powerful  to  do  harm? 


CHAPTER   IV. 

TREACHEROUS    COMPANIONS. 

A  FRIEND  who  fails,  out  and  out,  to  keep  his 
promise,  is  one  who  cannot  injure  us  greatly, 
for  we  soon  learn  to  distrust  and  avoid  him ;  but 
one  who  makes  us  believe  he  is  keeping  his  prom- 
ise to  help  us  while,  in  truth,  he  is  all  the  time 
secretly  injuring  us,  is  the  one  who  can  do  us  the 
greatest  harm  because  of  our  confidence  in  him. 
If  you  employed  a  man  as  a  special  guardian  of 
your  house,  and  he  promised  to  take  care  of  the 
premises  while  you  slept,  and  then  he  should  take 
advantage  of  your  trust  to  undermine  the  founda- 
tions, to  break  the  windows,  to  tear  down  the 
electric  wires  so  that  you  could  receive  no  word 
of  the  mischief  he  was  doing,  he  might,  in  truth, 
be  called  a  false  friend,  and  you  ought  to  feel 
grateful  to  anyone  who  would  inform  you  of  the 
true  state  of  affairs,  and  warn  you  against  trusting 
one  so  unworthy.  It  is  such  a  note  I  would  now 
sound  in  your  ears,  warning  you  against  a  class  of 
visitors  who  will  make  wonderful  promises  of 
assistance,  but  if  allowed  to  become  your  guests, 
238 


TREACHEROUS   COMPANIONS.  239 

will  work  great  mischief.  They  all  come  promis- 
ing to  add  to  Man's  comfort,  to  make  him  forget 
his  cares,  to  help  him  to  sleep,  and  to  close  the 
warning  mouth  of  Pain,  whom  Man  so  often  fails 
to  recognize  as  a  friend. 

Perhaps  the  most  widely  known  among  these 
false  friends  is  Opium,  a  dark,  unpleasant-looking 
creature,  whose  influence  over  Pain  is  very  remark- 
able, and  it  is  scarcely  to  be  wondered  at  that 
Man  receives  him  with  a  hearty  welcome  when  he 
once  learns  how  quiet  Pain  becomes  under  the 
influence  of  Opium,  but  when  we  learn  the  method 
by  which  Pain  is  stilled,  we  find  it  not  desirable. 
We  know  that  Pain's  complaint  means  that  some- 
thing is  wrong  about  the  house,  and  we  should 
seek  to  know  what  is  wrong  and  right  it;  then 
Pain  would  subside  of  his  own  accord.  But  Opium 
throttles  Pain,  as  it  were,  and  prevents  his  talking; 
or,  more  truly,  he  paralyzes  the  nerves  of  sensa- 
tion so  that  the  messages  of  Pain  are  not  received 
at  the  General  Office  and  the  mischief  of  which 
he  is  giving  information  goes  on  uncorrected. 

Because  he  hears  no  more  grumbling,  Man 
imagines  that  everything  is  as  it  should  be.  After 
a  time,  the  paralyzing  influence  of  Opium  passes 
away,  and  then  Pain  renews  his  complaint  more 
loudly,  and  Man,  in  his  agony,  again  calls  on  his 
false  friend   to  come  to  his  aid.     In  this  way  he 


240  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

becomes  a  slave  to  Opium,  and  the  bodily  house 
is  thrown  into  such  a  state  of  revolution  that  it  is 
only  when  the  tyrant  Opium  reigns  through  his 
paralyzing  power  that  Man  has  any  peace. 

The  habit  of  opium-using  in  various  forms,  as 
laudanum,  morphine,  or  opium-smoking,  may  be 
called  intoxication,  from  a  Greek  word,  toxicon^ 
meaning  poison.  All  these  false  friends  are 
poisons,  and  they  all  work  in  the  same  fashion,  by 
creating  such  a  demand  for  their  presence  that 
they  become  tyrants,  and  Man  their  slave. 

The  poet  Coleridge,  who  for  many  years  was 
addicted  to  the  use  of  opium,  says:  **  My  case  is 
a  species  of  madness,  only  that  it  is  a  derange- 
ment and  utter  impotence  of  volition  and  not  of 
the  intellectual  faculties.  You  bid  me  rouse 
myself.  Go  and  bid  a  paralytic  in  both  arms  to 
rub  them  briskly  together  and  that  will  cure  him. 
*  Alas,'  he  would  reply,  '  that  I  cannot  move  my 
arms  is  my  complaint  and  misery.'  "  I  am  glad 
to  tell  you  that  Coleridge,  after  a  fearful  struggle, 
was  freed  from  the  dominion  of  opium.  De 
Quincey,  who  was  also  an  opium  slave,  but  who 
freed  himself  from  the  tyrant,  says:  *' I  tri- 
umphed, but  think  not  that  my  sufferings  were 
ended.  Think  of  mc  as  one,  who,  even  when  four 
months  have  passed,  is  still  agitated,  writhing, 
throbbing,  palpitating  and  shattered." 


TREACHEROUS   COMPANIONS.  241 

The  use  of  opium  affects  not  only  the  physical 
system  but  the  moral  nature.  Dr.  Kerr,  who  has 
made  a  very  thorough  study  of  the  effects  of  nar- 
cotic poisons,  says  that  under  their  use  love  is 
transformed  to  hate,  and  the  one  who  uses  them 
often  loathes  the  sight  of  those  whom  he  used  to 
cherish  with  the  tenderest  affection.  He  con- 
tinues: "Opium  transforms  the  manly,  high- 
toned,  pleasant  companion  into  an  effeminate, 
driveling,  querulous  bore.  It  transcends  alcohol 
in  the  generation  of  a  more  irreclaimable  and 
incurable  diseased  condition.  Cured  alcohol- 
inebriates  are  not  uncommon,  cured  opium-inebri- 
ates are  comparatively  few  in  number.  The 
perception  is  so  clouded  that  they  are  not 
amenable  to  intellectual  and  other  elevating 
influences." 

Another  false  friend,  not  much  over  twenty 
years  old,  is  Chloral  Hydrate,  whose  chief  attrac- 
tion is  his  power  to  produce  sleep  ;  but  he,  like  all 
sleep-producing  drugs,  accomplishes  this  only  by 
destroying  the  ability  to  sleep.  He  interferes 
with  digestion,  oppresses  the  heart,  disturbs  cir- 
culation, and  affects  the  work  of  the  nervous 
system. 

Chlorodyne  and  Chloroform  are  relatives  of 
Chloral  Hydrate,  and  their  effect  is  similar  in  the 
deadening    of     sensation    and     the    working    of 


242  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

mischief  while  Man  is  unconscious.  Cocaine  may 
be  included  in  this  list.  This  is  a  powerful  drug, 
and  like  those  before  mentioned,  may  have  a 
valuable  work  to  do  in  the  hands  of  the  skilful 
physician,  but,  if  taken  at  the  will  of  the  indi- 
vidual, soon  becomes  a  tyrannical  master  who 
caresses  only  to  destroy.  Its  first  effect  is  a  feel- 
ing of  increased  mental  and  bodily  power,  but 
sleeplessness  and  depression  and  a  train  of  direful 
evils  follow,  and  the  ultimate  tendency  is  to 
produce  delirium  and  raving  madness. 

Absinthe  and  Haschish  are  friends  of  this  char- 
acter, better  known  in  foreign  lands  than  our  own. 
We  must  not  forget  to  mention  ginger  as  of  this 
class.  It  is  usually  associated  with  alcohol  before 
its  use  becomes  a  slavish  habit,  and  so  united  it 
becomes  destructive  to  the  stomach  and  causes 
a  persistent  gnawing  feeling  through  depraved 
mucous  membrane  and  nerve  disturbances.  These 
ginger  extracts  are  usually  purchased  by  women 
who,  perhaps,  have  little  idea  that  they  are 
becoming  drunkards  by  their  use.  When  we 
remember  that  only  those  substances  which  con- 
tain the  material  to  rebuild  the  body  can  truly  be 
called  foods,  and  that  these  are  the  only  sub- 
stances that  should  be  taken  regularly  into  the 
system,  we  have  a  guide  in  our  choice  of  visitors 
to  our  bodily  house,  and   if  we  are  truly  wise,  we 


TREACHEROUS   COMPANIONS.  243 

will  refuse  admission  to  those  whom  we   do   not 
know  to  be  builders. 

We  could  very  well  put  up  with  the  tearing 
down  of  our  dwellings  by  carpenters  who  were 
preparing  to  rebuild  it,  but  we  would  have  little 
patience  with  a  troop  of  boisterous  invaders  who 
would  tie  us  fast  while  they  destroyed  our  most 
precious  possessions.  We  should  be  equally 
impatient  with  such  false  friends  as  we  have 
described  in  this  chapter,  and  utterly  refuse  their 
admission  to  our  bodily  dwelling. 


CHAPTER   V. 

A   DECEITFUL   FRIEND. 

AMERICA  has  the  responsibihty  of  introducing 
to  the  world  one  who  has  become  an  intimate 
companion  of  both  the  high  and  the  low.  Tobacco 
has  held  his  place  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  his  first 
introduction  into  the  bodily  house  is  usually 
accompanied  by  serious  upturnings.  He  is  so 
universally  disagreeable  to  every  member  of  the 
household  that  all  unite  in  a  desperate  effort  to 
get  rid  of  him :  an  effort  so  terrible,  in  truth,  that 
during  the  struggle  the  whole  contents  of  the 
kitchen  may  be  emptied  out  of  the  front  door,  all 
the  guardians  and  servants  be  greatly  disturbed  in 
their  duties,  and  work  in  most  parts  of  the  house 
be  temporarily  suspended.  This  most  unpleasant 
visitor  has  a  dark  complexion,  and  carries  with 
him  an  evil  odor  that  ought  to  forbid  his  admis- 
sion into  any  respectable  household.  He  comes 
of  a  low  family.  The  deadly  Nightshade,  the 
Horse  Nettle,  Jamestown  Weed,  and  Henbane  are 
near  relatives  of  his ;  but,  like  some  other  bad 
folks,   he   has   some   relatives  who   are   beautiful, 

244 


A   DECEITFUL   FRIEND.  245 

such  as  the  Night-blooming  Jasmine ;  or  useful, 
as  the  Potato  and  Tomato,  who  are  his  second 
cousins. 

Are  you  now  willing  to  learn  what  science  says 
of  Tobacco?  WeJeel  obliged  to  accept  the  state- 
ments of  Science,  for  they  are  records  of  facts, 
and  are  not  in  the  interest  of  any  theories  of 
reform.  Scientists  study  the  body  and  set  down 
just  what  they  find,  letting  it  prove  or  disprove 
what  it  may,  and  they  have  been  interested  in 
investigating  the  effects  of  Tobacco  in  the  various 
disguises  in  which  he  enters  the  house. 

Sometimes  he  comes  dressed  in  white  and  looks 
very  dainty,  and  in  this  form  is  called  a  cigarette, 
and  to  many  he  appears  as  if  quite  harmless. 
Little  boys  are  often  most  anxious  to  make  his 
acquaintance,  and  sometimes  become  so  fond  of 
him  that  they  say  they  cannot  give  up  their  friend- 
ship with  him.  Yet  even  in  this  charming  guise 
he  is  black  at  heart  and  does  most  destructive 
work  in  the  house.  It  is  said  that  he  often  brings 
with  him  the  false  friend  Opium,  and  that  fre- 
quently the  white  paper  in  which  he  is  wrapped  is 
bleached  with  arsenic.  Tobacco  always  carries 
with  him  a  deadly  poison  known  as  nicotine  which 
is  found  as  an  oil,  and  it  is  said  that  this  oil  is 
seven  per  cent  of  the  whole  weight  of  the  tobacco 
leaf.     And    what    does    nicotine    do?     "Nicotine 


246  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

primarily  lowers  the  circulation,  quickens  the 
respiration,  and  excites  the  muscular  system,  but 
its  ultimate  effect  is  general  exhaustion.  Admin- 
istered in  the  minutest  doses,  the  results  are 
alarming,  and  in  larger  quantities  will  occasion  a 
man's  death  in  from  two  to  five  minutes."  This, 
of  course,  means  the  pure  nicotine  separated  from 
the  other  substances  in  the  tobacco.  Well,  I,  for 
one,  do  not  want  anything  to  do  with  a  visitor 
who  steals  into  my  house  to  do  such  harm  as 
that,  do  you? 

Franklin  found  that  if  tobacco  smoke  were 
passed  through  a  stream  of  water,  oil  would 
appear  on  the  surface,  and  that  oil  applied  to  the 
tongue  of  a  cat  would  kill  it,  for  that  oil  was 
nicotine.  You  would  n't  drink  water  through 
which  tobacco  smoke  was  passed,  you  say.  Of 
course  not;  but  you  often  have  to  breathe  air 
that  is  filled  with  it,  for  the  nicotine  goes  off  with 
the  smoke,  and  not  only  the  smoker,  but  every- 
body around  suffers. 

Tobacco  sometimes  comes  as  a  visitor  to  the 
bodily  dwelling  in  a  brown  dress,  as  a  cigar ;  or 
he  may  be  carried  in  a  conveyance  called  a  pipe, 
and  some  men  spend  more  time  and  take  more 
pride  in  coloring  a  meerschaum  pipe  by  tobacco 
smoke,  than  they  do  in  gaining  a  profession  ;  so 
we   see  what   an    ignoble    ambition    it   stimulates. 


A  DECEITFUL  FRIEND.  247 

Occasionally  we  find  a  person  who  takes  Tobacco 
into  closer  companionship,  and  invites  him  into 
the  reception  room,  rolls  him  over  in  familiar 
association  with  his  tongue,  presses  him  between 
his  teeth,  and  thenxasts  him  out. 

This  chewing  is  the  most  disgusting  form  of 
friendship  with  Tobacco,  and  is  particularly  hurt- 
ful in  that  it  puts  a  great  deal  of  unnecessary 
labor  on  the  salivary  glands,  and  then  throws  the 
result  of  their  labor  away. 

Snuff  taking  used  to  be  quite  fashionable.  In 
this  habit.  Tobacco  in  the  form  of  a  fine  powder 
is  taken  into  the  nose.  Very  few  people  use  snuff 
nowadays,  yet  in  the  South  we  find  it  sometimes 
used  by  women  who  dip  a  stick  into  the  snuff  and 
then  chew  it.  Some  people  claim  that  Tobacco  is 
good  for  the  teeth,  but  the  testimony  of  many 
dentists  is  to  the  effect  that  while  it  may  deaden 
pain,  it  hastens  decay. 

Although  Tobacco  is  not  allowed  to  penetrate 
farther  than  the  reception  room,  his  poisonous 
influences  are  felt  all  through  the  house.  His 
first  influence  will  be  on  the  lips,  tongue  and 
throat,  and  serious  irritations  or  even  cancers  may 
follow.  The  cancer  of  Senator  Hill  is  said  to  have 
been  the  result  of  smoking,  and  it  is  the  belief  of 
many  physicians  that  the  frightful  throat  difificul- 
ties  of  General  Grant  and  the  Emperor  Frederick 


248  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

were  in  a  great  degree  the  result  of  smoking. 
Doctors  who  have  had  the  opportunity  of  observ- 
ation easily  recognize  the  smoker's  sore  throat. 

All  users  of  tobacco  will  recall  their  first  expe- 
rience and  admit  that  it  had  a  serious  effect  on 
the  stomach.  Tobacco  smoke  necessarily  irritates 
the  bronchial  tubes  and  lungs  which  were  made  to 
deal  with  pure  air,  and  not  with  that  poisoned 
with  nicotine,  and  serious  lung  affections  are  caused 
or  greatly  increased  by  smoking.  One  of  the 
famous  Delmonico  brothers  of  New  York  used  to 
smoke  a  hundred  cigars  a  day,  and  died  from  a 
morbid  enlargement  of  lung  cells  that  caused  fits 
of  coughing  that  nearly  strangled  him. 

The  effect  of  nicotine  on  the  blood  is  to  make  it 
watery  and  change  the  red  corpuscles  so  that  they 
rapidly  go  to  pieces,  and  the  ratio  of  degenerated 
corpuscles  may  go  as  high  as  one  to  ten  healthy 
ones.  This  condition  of  the  blood  is  shown  by 
the  microscope.  A  man  who  had  been  selecting 
a  microscope,  left  on  the  slide  a  drop  of  his  own 
blood,  which  he  had  used  as  a  test.  A  professor 
of  microscopy  saw  the  slide  and  said  to  the 
dealer:  "  Tell  that  gentleman,  if  you  can  without 
impertinence,  that  unless  he  stops  smoking  at  once 
he  has  not  many  months  to  live."  A  few  weeks 
later  he  died,  and  the  doctors  called  his  disease  a 
"  general  breaking-up." 


A  DECEITFUL   FRIEXD.  249 

A  Cincinnati  paper  tells  us  that  at  one  time  the 
sister-in-law  of  General  Sherman  was  ill  and  it  was 
thought  that  transfusion  of  blood  might  save  her 
life.  Blood  was  therefore  conveyed  to  her  arm 
from  that  of  her  son,  an  apparently  vigorous  young 
man,  but  a  great  smoker.  In  a  few  moments  she 
exclaimed:  "Who  is  smoking?  I  taste  tobacco." 
No  one  was  smoking,  but  the  small  amount  of 
blood  drawn  from  the  veins  of  the  young  man  was 
so  saturated  with  tobacco  that  it  had  been  recog- 
nized by  her  sense  of  taste.  She  died  shortly 
after  with  heart  failure.  This  gives  an  idea  of  the 
effects  of  tobacco  in  poisoning  the  blood,  and 
explains  how  it  interferes  with  the  growth  of  the 
young.  Children  grow  only  by  having  good 
blood  carried  to  all  parts  of  the  bod}-.  If  one- 
tenth  of  the  blood  is  made  of  broken-down  cells, 
it  cannot  build  up  strong  nerves,  muscles  and 
bone,  and  so  the  smoking  boy  may  not  grow  to 
full  size.  This  lack  of  growth  does  not  result 
alone  from  a  poor  qualit}^  of  blood,  but  from  the 
debility  and  irregularity  of  the  heart's  action, 
caused  by  the  nicotine.  Brodie  says:  '*  It  power- 
fully affects  the  action  of  the  heart  and  arteries, 
producing  invariably  a  weak,  tremulous  pulse, 
with  all  the  apparent  symptoms  of  approaching 
death." 

Another  physician  says:      '*  If  we  wish  at  any 


250  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

time  to  prostrate  the  powers  of  life  in  the  most 
sudden  and  awful  manner,  we  have  but  to  admin- 
ister a  dose  of  tobacco  and  our  object  is  accom 
plished.  The  effect  on  the  heart  is  not  caused  by 
direct  action,  but  by  paralyzing  the  minute  cell 
ganglia  which  form  the  batteries  of  the  nervous 
system.  The  heart,  freed  from  their  control, 
increases  the  rapidity  of  its  strokes,  with  an  appar- 
ent accession,  but  real  waste,  of  force." 

Under  its  influence  the  heart  beats  more 
rapidly,  but  not  with  the  same  force,  so  it  does 
not  send  a  constant  stream  of  blood  to  all  the 
organs,  while  at  the  same  time  it  is  exhausted  by 
its  own  increased  labors.  If  we  go  back  and  read 
the  chapter  on  the  Force  Pump,  and  see  that  the 
heart  must  get  its  rest  between  beats,  and  then 
are  told  that  one  doctor  who  counted  his  pulse 
every  five  minutes  during  an  hour's  smoking,  cal- 
culated that  in  the  hour  it  beat  a  thousand  times 
too  often,  we  can  begin  to  realize  the  danger  to 
the  heart  in  the  use  of  tobacco  and  will  not  be 
surprised  to  learn  that  *'  the  tobacco  heart,"  as 
it  is  called,  is  on  the  increase,  and  many  young 
men  are  finding  untimely  graves  through  making 
a  friend  of  Tobacco. 

Dr.  Magruder,  medical  examiner  of  the  United 
States  Navy,  says  that  one  out  of  every  one 
hundred     applicants    for    enlistment    is    rejected 


A  DECEITFUL  FRIEND.  251 

because  of  irritable  heart  from  the  use  of  tobacco. 
Major  Houston,  of  our  naval  schools,  asserts  that 
one-fifth  of  the  boys  who  apply  for  admission 
are  rejected  on  account  of  heart  disease,  and  that 
ninety  per  cent  of  those  thus  rejected  have 
induced  the  heart  disease  in  themselves  by  the  use 
of  tobacco.  The  deteriorated  blood  caused  by  its 
use  has  its  effect  upon  the  nutrition  of  all  struc- 
tures, but  it  has  also  a  direct  effect  on  the  nerves, 
paralyzing  those  of  sensation  and  of  volition. 

Dr.  Newell,  of  Boston,  says :  "  Tobacco  has 
eleven  special  centers  of  action  in  the  human 
system,  the  chief  of  which  are  the  heart,  eyes, 
spinal  cord,  genitalia,  lungs  and  circulation.  I 
have  seen  nicotine  lower  the  circulation  and  lessen 
the  respiratory  power,  wither  and  paralyze  the 
motor  column  of  the  spinal  cord,  produce  atrophy 
and  blindness.  It  produces  mental  aberration, 
low  spirits,  irresolution,  the  most  dismal  hypo- 
chondria, insomnia,  and  sometimes,  after  the  victim 
has  retired,  frightful  shocks,  like  a  discharge  of 
electricity." 

What  do  you  think  of  such  a  friend  as  that? 
Do  you  know  that  athletes,  oarsmen  and  pugilists 
are  not  allowed  to  use  tobacco,  and  can  you  guess 
why?  It  is  because  they  have  learned  that  they 
cannot  do  their  best  work  when  they  smoke. 
Mr.  O'Flaherty  says  :      "  I  have  known  men  who. 


252  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 


previous  to  their  using  tobacco,  could  send  a 
bullet  through  a  target  at  eight  hundred  yards, 
but  after  they  became  smokers  were  so  nervous  that 
they  could  scarcely  send  one  into  a  hay-stack  at  a 
hundred  yards."  The  hand  of  the  smoker  often 
trembles  so  that  he  cannot  draw  a  clean,  straight 
line,  and  it  is  said  that  tobacco-using  applicants 
for  the  situation  of  book-keeper  have  been  rejected 
because  of  their  tremulous  handwriting.  Our 
baseball  players  are  learning  that  the  man  who 
uses  tobacco  may  have  a  defective  eyesight  which 
lessens  his  ability  as  a  batter.  The  use  of  tobacco 
causes  a  dilation  of  the  pupils  of  the  eye  and  con- 
fusion of  vision.  They  frequently  find,  too,  that 
when  they  shut  their  eyes  the  images  remain 
visible  a  long  time  because  of  the  impaired 
activity  of  the  nerves  of  the  retina.  A  peculiar 
kind  of  blindness  is  attributable  to  the  use  of 
tobacco,  which  will  not  be  relieved  by  any  reme- 
dies as  long  as  the  habit  of  smoking  is  continued, 
and  frequently  is  utterly  irremediable. 

One  doctor  says  that  tobacco  produces  a  con- 
traction of  the  blood  vessels  which  causes  anaemia 
of  the  nerve  structure,  and  this,  of  course,  weakens 
the  nerves  and  causes  them  to  degenerate.  The 
ear  is  also  affected  by  the  use  of  tobacco.  Some- 
times there  is  an  inability  to  hear  clearly,  and 
sometimes  there  are  roaring  sounds  in  the  ears. 


A   DECEITFUL  FRIEND.  253 

In  other  cases  there  will  be  chronic  catarrh  and 
inflammation  of  the  middle  ear,  extending  down 
the  Eustachian  tube  into  the  throat.  Actors  and 
singers  are  learning  by  experience  that  the  use  of 
tobacco  injures  the  voice,  rendering  it  coarse, 
tremulous  and  husky. 

The  effect  upon  the  brain  and  nerves  is  very 
marked.  A  member  of  the  Paris  Academy  of 
Medicine  says  that  statistics  show  that  in  exac.' 
proportion  to  the  increased  consumption  of  tobaccc 
is  the  increase  of  diseases  in  the  nervous  centers : 
insanity,  general  paralysis,  paraplegia,  and  certain 
cancerous  affections. 

The  superintendent  of  the  Pennsylvania  Insane 
Hospital  says:  "The  earlier  boys  begin  to  use 
tobacco,  the  more  strongly  marked  are  its  effects 
upon  the  nerves  and  brain."  Professor  Kirke 
says:  "You  see  a  man  weary,  and  yet  restless. 
By  means  of  the  narcotic  this  nervous  irritation  is 
subdued.  The  supply  of  vital  force  from  the 
organic  centers  to  the  motor  nerves  is  so  much  les- 
sened that  the  irritating  movement  in  them  ceases. 
This  gives  a  sense  of  relief  to  the  person  affected. 
He  is  not  aware  that  the  benefit  is  purchased  at  a 
very  serious  cost.  He  has  not  only  lessened  the 
supply  of  vital  force  for  the  time  being,  but  has 
done  a  very  considerable  amount  of  injury  to  his 
vital    system.      He    has,    in    fact,    poisoned    thQ 


254  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 


Springs  of  life  within  him.  As  soon  as  these 
nerves  rally  from  the  lowering  effect  of  the  nar- 
cotic, the  irritation  returns,  and  the  narcotic  is 
called  for  anew.  Fresh  injury  is  inflicted  for  the 
sake  of  the  ease  desired.  This  goes  on  till  the 
vital  centers,  if  at  all  dehcate,  totally  fail  to  give 
supply  to  the  motor  nerves,  and  paralysis  begins. 
Yet  the  man  goes  on  indulging  in  the  so-called 
luxury  of  the  narcotic."  Physicians  are  even 
beginning  to  ascribe  delirium  tremens  to  the 
exasperating  agency  of  tobacco  upon  the  human 
nerves  and  organism. 

The  evil  effects  of  tobacco  are  not  confined  to 
the  physical  powers  but  are  also  felt  in  the  intel- 
lectual capacity.  Presidents  of  colleges,  superin- 
tendents of  schools,  educators  everywhere  are 
giving  their  unqualified  testimony  upon  this  point. 
In  1863,  the  Emperor  Louis  Napoleon,  learning 
that  paralysis  and  insanity  had  increased  with  the 
increase  of  tobacco  revenue,  ordered  an  examin- 
ation of  schools,  and  this  brought  to  light  the  fact 
that  the  average  standing,  both  as  to  scholarship  and 
character,  was  lower  among  the  users  of  tobacco 
than  among  the  non-users,  and  he  therefore  issued 
an  edict  forbidding  its  use  in  all  the  national 
institutions. 

French  medical  scientists  made  very  thorough 
investigation  in  regard  to  the  effects  of  tobacco  in 


A   DECEITFUL  FRIEND,  255 

the  public  schools  of  France,  extending  from  1876 
to  1880,  and  the  result  was  that  the  minister  of 
Public  Instruction  issued  a  circular  to  teachers  in 
all  schools  of  every  grade  forbidding  tobacco,  as 
injurious  not  only  to  the  physical,  but  to  the 
intellectual  development. 

I  heard  a  president  of  a  Normal  College  say  to 
his  students  that  he  could  pick  out  the  users  of 
tobacco  by  simply  looking  at  the  record  of  recita- 
tions, and  added  :      "If  there  is  one  boy  who  can 
use  tobacco    and   keep   up  with   his  classes,  that 
boy  has  an  intellect  bright  enough  to  yield  him  a 
world-wide  reputation  if   he  were  to  give  up  the 
use  of  tobacco."     The    Yale  Cotirant  tells  us  that 
in  the  four  grades  of  scholarship  into  which  Yale 
students     are     divided,    in    the    first    grade,    only 
twenty-five  per  cent  use  tobacco ;    in  the  second 
grade,  forty-eight  per  cent;    in  the  third,  seventy 
per  cent ;    and  in  the  lowest,  eighty-five  per  cent. 
A  report  by  the  medical  department  of  the  United 
States    Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis,   Maryland, 
enumerates  as  the  results  of  the  use  of  tobacco  in 
the    school:      **  Functional    derangements    of    the 
digestive,  circulatory,  and  nervous  systems,  mani- 
festing   themselves    in    the    form    of    a  headache, 
confusion  of  intellect,  loss  of   memory,   impaired 
power  of  attention,  lassitude,  indisposition  to  mus- 
cular effort,  nausea,  want  of  appetite,  dyspepsia, 


256  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

palpitation,  tremulousness,  disturbed  sleep,  im- 
paired vision,  etc.,  any  one  of  which  materially  les- 
sens the  capacity  for  study  and  application.  The 
Board  are  of  the  opinion,  therefore,  that  the  regu- 
lations against  the  use  of  tobacco  in  any  form 
cannot  be  too  stringent."  What  an  array  of 
charges  to  bring  against  one  who  claims  to  be  a 
friend  ! 

Worse,  perhaps,  than  all  this  terrible  effect  on 
the  body  and  mind  is  the  evil  result  to  the  moral 
nature.  According  to  a  New  York  doctor,  **  the 
universal  experience  of  all  mankind  will  attest,  and 
the  intelligent  observation  of  any  individual  will 
confirm  the  statement  that,  precisely  in  the  ratio 
that  persons  indulge  in  narcotic  stimulants,  the 
mental  powers  are  unbalanced,  the  lower  propen- 
sities acquire  undue  and  inordinate  activity  at  the 
expense  not  only  of  vital  stamina,  but  also  of  the 
moral  and  intellectual  nature.  The  whole  being 
is  not  only  perverted,  but  introverted  and  retro^ 
verted.  Tobacco  using,  even  more  than  liquor 
drinking,  disqualifies  the  mind  for  exercising  its 
intuitions  concerning  the  right  and  wrong;  it 
degrades  the  moral  sense  below  the  intellectual 
recognitions." 

The  testimony  of  Professor  Stuart,  of  Andover, 
is  that  tobacco  undermines  the  health  of  thou- 
sands,   creates    a    nervous    irritability,    and    thus 


A   DECEITFUL   FRIEND.  257 

operates  on  the  temper  and  moral  character  of 
men.  It  is  the  opinion  of  Professor  Mead,  of 
Oberhn,  that  the  tobacco  habit  tends  to  deaden 
the  sense  of  honor  as  well  as  of  decency,  and  none 
are  likely  to  practice  deception  more  unscrupu- 
lously than  those  who  use  the  weed. 

Dr.  Harris  says:  "There  is  no  article  of  luxury 
that  so  secretly  and  yet  so  surely  saps  all  the 
foundations  of  manliness  and  virtue  as  the  use  of 
tobacco.  It  paves  the  way  to  every  vice,  and  tends 
directly  to  habits  of  the  grossest  immorality." 

We  can  only  account  for  the  enslavement  of 
moral  teachers  to  the  habit  of  smoking  on  the 
ground  that  these  men  began  the  habit  of 
smoking  years  ago  when  the  true  character 
of  tobacco  was  not  as  well  known  as  to-day, 
and  now,  blinded  by  its  seductiveness,  they 
will  not  be  convinced  that  it  has  harmed 
them.  I  think  one  of  the  saddest  sights  I 
ever  saw  was  that  of  two  doctors  of  divinity 
smoking  together,  one  fast  falling  into  imbecility 
with  softening  of  the  brain,  and  the  other  totally 
blind.  The  profession  of  piety  does  not  save  one 
from  the  penalty  of  violated  law,  and  it  is  written, 
"Whoso  defileth  the  temple  of  God,  him  shall 
God  destroy,  for  the  temple  of  God  is  holy,  which 
temple  ye  are." 

In  a  discourse  to  the  graduating  class  at  Wil- 


258  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

liams  College,  President  Hopkins,  after  some 
preliminary  remarks  on  the  use  of  tobacco,  thus 
sums  up  :  "I  may  express  to  you  my  conviction 
that  habitual  narcotic  stimulation  of  the  brain  is 
not  compatible  with  the  fullest  consecration  of  the 
body  as  a  temple  of  God.  Good  men  may  do 
this  in  ignorance,  as  other  things  prevalent  at 
times  have  been  done,  and  not  offend  their  con- 
sciences ;  but  I  believe  that  greater  earnestness, 
more  self-scrutiny,  fuller  light  would  reveal  its 
incompatibility  with  full  consecration,  and  sweep 
it  entirely  away.  The  present  position,  on  this 
point,  of  the  Christian  Church  as  a  whole  I  regard 
as  obstructive  of  the  highest  manhood  and  of  the 
spread  of  spiritual  religion.  I  know  that  strong 
men  have  in  this  connection  been  bound  as  in 
fetters  of  brass,  and  cast  down  from  high  places, 
and  have  found  premature  prostration  and  a 
premature  grave,  and  that  this  process  is  now 
going  on.  Let  me  say,  therefore,  to  those  of  you 
who  expect  to  be  ministers,  that  I  believe  ser- 
mons, even  those  called  great  sermons,  which  are 
the  product  of  alcoholic  or  narcotic  stimulation, 
are  a  service  of  God  by  '  strange-fire";  and  that 
for  men  to  be  scrupulous  about  their  attire  as 
clerical,  and  yet  to  enter  upon  religious  services 
with  narcotized  bodies  and  a  breath  that  '  smells 
to  heaven '  of  anything  but  incense,  is  an  incon- 


A   DECEITFUL  FRIEND.  259 

gruity  and  an  offense,  a  cropping  out  of  the  old 
Pharisaism  that  made  clean  *  the  outside  of  the  cup 
and  platter.'  Not  that  abstinence  has  a  merit,  or 
secures  consecration;  it  is  only  its  best  condition." 

It  is  claimed  by,  many  that  the  use  of  tobacco 
leads  to  strong  drink.  To  be  sure,  many  smokers 
do  not  drink,  but  I  imagine  there  are  few  drinkers 
who  do  not  smoke,  and  the  testimony  of  man  en- 
deavoring to  reform  is  that  to  succeed  they  must 
not    only  give    up  their  drink  but  their  tobacco. 

Alcohol  is  often  used  in  the  process  of  curing 
the  tobacco  leaf.  Jerry  McAuley,  well  known  for 
his  mission  in  Water  Street,  New  York,  said  that 
it  is  rare  to  find  a  reformed  man  who  does  not 
return  to  his  cups  if  he  continues  the  use  of 
tobacco,  and  the  effort  is  made  in  his  mission  to 
induce  men  not  only  to  give  up  drink  but  the  use 
of  the  weed  as  well.  The  fetters  which  tobacco 
binds  around  his  victims  are  as  strong  as  those  of 
opium  or  alcohol. 

I  once  talked  with  a  boy  of  seventeen,  who  said 
he  would  have  a  good  farm  given  him  if  he  would 
quit  smoking.  **  I  want  the  farm,"  he  said,  "  and 
I  have  tried  to  quit,  but  I  cannot." 

I  have  even  heard  of  a  boy  of  six  so  enslaved 
by  the  tobacco  habit  that  he  preferred  a  cigarette 
to  candy. 

I  find   in  the  book,   •'  Tobacco    Problem,"  this 


260  OUR  B ODIL  Y  D  WELLING. 


little  story:  A  man  found  himself  out  of  flour, 
meat  and  tobacco.  Having  in  his  purse  only  a 
dollar  and  seventy-five  cents,  he  went  to  market 
and  came  home  with  fifty  cents'  worth  of  meat, 
and  the  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents'  worth  of 
tobacco,  telling  his  wife  that  they  must  trust  to 
the  Lord  for  flour.  If  grown  men  are  such  slavey 
would  it  not  be  wise  for  boys  to  keep  out  of  such 
bondage?  I  wish  they  could  be  induced  to  say 
that  they  will  be  free ;  but  alas  !  all  over  our  land 
boys  are  beginning  to  put  themselves  into  the 
power  of  this  tyrant. 

Not  only  have  reformers  protested  against 
tobacco  but  business  men  are  opening  their  eyes 
to  the  fact  that  its  use  is  not  only  a  selfish  and 
disagreeable  habit  but  is  injurious  to  the  best 
interests  of  business. 

A  prominent  man  who  is  general  freight  agent 
in  a  great  railroad,  and  who  employs  many  young 
men  as  clerks,  announces  that  in  future  he  will  not 
employ  any  one  who  uses  cigarettes.  He  says : 
'*  Among  the  two  hundred  in  my  service  are 
thirty-two  cigarette  fiends.  Eighty-five  per  cent 
of  the  mistakes  occurring  in  the  office  are  trace- 
able to  these  thirty-two  smokers.  They  fall 
behind  in  their  work,  and  when  transferred  to 
other  desks,  which  men  who  do  not  smoke  handle 
easily,  they  get  along  just  as  badly,  showing  that 


A   DECEITFUL   FRIEND.  26 i 

it  is  not  the  amount  of  work  that  is  to  blame,  but 
the  inability  or  indolence  of  the  performer.  The 
smokers  average  two  '  davs  off '  from  work  in  a 
month,  while  the  non-smokers  average  only  one- 
half  day  'off'  in,  the  same  time.  The  natural 
conclusion  is  that  the  thirty-two  young  men  are 
holding  positions  deserved  by  better  men." 

Mr.  George  Baumhoff,  Superintendent  of  the 
Lindell  Railway,  of  St.  Louis,  says:  "Under  no 
circumstances  will  I  hire  a  man  who  smokes 
cigarettes.  He  is  as  dangerous  on  the  front  of  a 
motor  as  a  man  who  drinks.  His  nerves  are 
bound  to  give  way  at  a  critical  moment.  If  I  find 
a  car  beginning  to  get  irregular  for  any  time,  I 
begin  at  once  to  investigate  the  motorman  to  find 
if  he  smokes  cigarettes.  Nine  times  out  of  ten  he 
does,  and  then  he  goes  for  good." 

The  Superintendent  of  the  Georgia  Central 
Railway  has  issued  an  order  prohibiting  cigar- 
ette smoking  by  the  employees  of  the  road. 
Many  business  firms  in  Chicago  have  issued 
similar  orders.  Cigarette  smoking  is  not  per- 
mitted among  the  employees  of  Montgomery,  Ward 
&  Co.  Marshall  Field  &  Co.  provide  bi-monthly 
lectures  against  the  practice  for  the  benefit  of 
their  employees.  The  reasons  given  by  these 
and  other  business  men  for  thus  forbidding  the 
use  of  cigarettes  are:      The  odor  is  unpleasant; 


262  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

that  nicotine  demoralizes  the  employee  and  affects 
his  honesty;  that  it  makes  him  nervous,  stunts  his 
growth,  befogs  his  memory,  and  makes  him 
unable  to  give  his  employer  his  best  service. 

Chief  Willis  Moore,  of  the  United  States 
Weather  Bureau,  has  issued  an  order  prohibiting 
the  use  of  cigarettes  by  all  employees.  He  says : 
*'  In  the  service  we  are  compelled  to  maintain  a 
very  strict  discipline  to  secure  satisfactory  service. 
Some  of  the  men  whom  we.  regarded  as  most 
thorough  and  competent  gradually  became  care- 
less and  lax.  In  many  cases  this  was  found 
directly  attributable  to  the  use  of  cigarettes.  As 
a  public  servant  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  correct  any 
evil  that  exists,  and  I  can  state  most  emphatically 
that  the  order  will  stand,  and  that  it  applies  to  the 
entire  force  of  the  bureau  throughout  the  service." 

Business  men  are  not  sentimental  but  practical. 
It  is  not  in  the  interest  of  reform  or  of  philan- 
thropy that  they  take  such  a  stand,  but  because  it 
affects  their  business,  their  pocket-book.  The 
boy  who  desires  success  in  business  will  be  wise  if 
he  sees  what  is  indicated  by  this  movement  on 
the  part  of  business  firms,  and  as  he  desires  suc- 
cess in  life  prepares  for  it  by  the  wisdom  gained 
through  the  experience  of  others  :  and  yet 
myriads  of  boys  are  beginning  the  evil  habit. 

The   Boston   Journal,   in  the  year    1882,  says: 


A   DECEITFUL   FRIEND.  263 

**  Seventy-five  per  cent  of  school  boys  over  twelve 
or  thirteen  years  of  age,  smoke  cigarettes."  We 
are  glad  to  learn  that  Prof.  William  Stephenson, 
Philadelphia,  has  caused  to  be  pasted  in  the  inside 
of  every  text-book  used  in  his  school,  a  brief, 
printed  statement  of  the  physical  and  mental  dis- 
eases produced  in  the  young  by  the  use  of 
tobacco.  It  needs  backbone  to  give  up  the  habit 
of  tobacco  using,  and  many  people  are  afraid  to 
quit  suddenly  for  fear  the  results  will  be  serious, 
but  we  have  the  testimony  of  medical  men  to  the 
fact  that,  while  it  may  be  exceedingly  uncomfort- 
able, it  is  perfectly  safe  to  quit  immediately. 

Dr.  Kirkbride  says:  "I  have  never  seen  the 
slightest  injury  result  from  the  immediate  and 
total  breaking  off  the  habit  of  using  tobacco,  and 
the  experience  of  this  hospital  is  a  large  one  in 
this  particular."  We  quote  from  the  testimony  of 
another  physician  :  "  The  struggle  of  the  sufferer 
may  be  terrible,  he  may  even  feel  like  death,  but 
there  is  no  danger  of  dying.  Such  a  result  has 
never  yet  happened.  Although  the  pain  and 
misery  are  intense,  their  duration  is  short." 

To  one  endeavoring  to  break  free  from  the 
fetters  of  tobacco  using,  it  might  be  well  to  sug- 
gest that  a  great  assistance  will  be  found  in 
avoiding  all  stimulating,  highly-seasoned  articles 
of  food,  and   in  the  using  of  fruits ;    also  in  warm 


264  OUR  B ODIL  Y  D  WELLING, 

bathing,  or  wet  sheet-packing,  to  induce  the 
speedy  elimination  of  the  poison  through  the  skin. 

I  have  written  as  though  all  the  victims  of  the 
tobacco  habit  were  men  and  boys,  but  I  am  told 
that  girls  are  often  induced  to  smoke  cigarettes 
just  for  fun,  and  end  by  becoming  constant  users 
of  tobacco.  I  know  of  one  bright  girl  of  seven- 
teen who  smokes  so  much  that  she  carries  with 
her  the  same  odor  of  person  as  a  tobacco-saturated 
man.  What  a  frightful  thing  for  a  pretty  girl  to 
poison  the  air  all  about  her  with  the  odor  of 
tobacco  !  And  yet  it  is  no  worse  for  girls  to  smoke 
than  for  boys ;  and  we,  who  have  come  to  have  a 
regard  for  the  bodily  house,  in  which  we  dwell  in 
company  with  the  divine  Architect  who  created  it, 
will  certainly  banish  tobacco  from  our  premises. 

The  Bible  says  :  "  When  a  man  would  build  a 
house,  he  first  sits  down  and  counts  the  cost."  It 
is  well  also  to  count  the  cost  of  bringing  into  our 
wonderful  bodily  house  agencies  that  will  tear  it 
down.  We  have  been  counting  the  cost  of  the 
use  of  tobacco  in  its  effect  upon  the  nerves  and 
blood,  on  heart  and  brain,  on  memory,  intellect 
and  morals;  now  suppose  we  count  the  cost  in 
dollars  and  cents.  You  can  figure  up  for  yourself 
what  would  be  the  yearly  expense  of  a  man  who 
smoked  a  hundred  cigars  a  day,  as  Delmonico  is 
said  to   have  done.      If  they  cost  only  five  cents 


A  DECEITFUL   FRIEND.  265 

apiece,  it  would  amount  to  five  dollars  a  day,  or 
eighteen  hundred  dollars  a  year. 

A  man  is  considered  a  very  moderate  smoker 
who  uses  only  three  cigars  a  day :  computing 
these  at  five  cents^  each  would  make  over  fifty 
dollars  a  year.  But  suppose  he  only  spends  five 
cents  a  day,  will  you  figure  up  what  he  could  save 
if  he  put  it  out  at  compound  interest?  Or  sup- 
pose he  put  the  fifty  dollars  into  books ;  at  the 
end  of  a  year  he  would  not  have  paralyzed  his 
nerves  and  poisoned  his  blood,  and  have  only  an 
empty  pocket-book ;  he  would  have  gathered 
about  him  a  company  of  choice  friends  to  be  a 
pleasure  to  him  through  life. 

Let  me  quote  again  from  ''The  Tobacco  Prob- 
lem "  :  **  Some  years  since,  the  annual  production 
of  tobacco  throughout  the  world  was  estimated  at 
four  billion  pounds.  This  mass,  if  transformed 
into  roll-tobacco  two  inches  in  diameter,  would 
coil  around  the  world  sixty  times ;  or  if  made  up 
into  tablets,  as  sailors  use  it,  would  form  a  pile  as 
large  as  an  Egyptian  pyramid.  Allowing  the  cost 
of  the  unmanufactured  material  to  be  ten  cents  a 
pound,  the  yearly  expense  of  this  poisonous 
growth  amounts  to  four  hundred  million  dollars. 
Put  into  marketable  shape  the  annual  cost  reaches 
one  thousand  million  dollars.  This  sum,  according- 
to  careful  computation,  would   construct  two  rail- 


266  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING, 

roads  around  the  earth  at  twenty  thousand  dollars 
a  mile.  It  would  build  a  hundred  thousand 
churches,  each  costing  ten  thousand  dollars,  or 
half  a  million  school-houses,  each  costing  two 
thousand ;  or  it  would  employ  a  million  of 
preachers  and  a  million  teachers,  at  a  salary  of 
five  hundred  dollars." 

It  is  estimated  by  a  computation  from  internal 
revenue  tax  paid  in  the  fourth  district  of  Michigan, 
that  the  consumers  of  tobacco  in  that  district  in 
one  year  paid  out  ten  times  the  amount  it  costs 
per  annum  to  support  the  University  of  Michigan 
and  its  students. 

The  late  President  Wayland  says:  "The 
American  Board,  an  institution  of  world-wide 
benevolence,  which  collects  its  funds  from  all  the 
northern  states,  does  not  receive  annually  as  much 
as  is  expended  for  cigars  in  the  single  State  of 
New  York."  But  this  is  not  the  only  expense  of 
tobacco  using.  Great  fires  often  result  from 
the  carelessness  of  smokers.  A  plumber  threw 
down  a  lighted  match  in  the  printing  establish- 
ment of  Harper  Brothers  ;  a  fire  resulted  with  a 
loss  of  two  million  dollars,  and  about  two  thousand 
people  were  thrown  out  of  employment.  A  fire 
which  destroyed  three  million  dollars'  worth  of 
property  resulted  from  the  throwing  away  of  a 
half-smoked  cigar.     A  young  woman  was  riding 


A   DECEITFUL   FRIEND.  267 

with  a  young  man  who  was  smoking;  a  spark 
from  his  cigar  set  fire  to  her  Hght  muslin  dress, 
and  she  was  burned  to  death. 

The  destructive  effects  of  tobacco-raising  on  the 
soil  must  be  included  in  this  count  of  cost;  also 
its  effect  upon  the  condition  and  character  of  those 
raising  it.  Jefferson  says:  "  It  is  a  culture  pro- 
ductive of  infinite  wretchedness.  No  other  crop  so 
entirely  exhausts  the  soil,  and  this  must  be  recog- 
nized by  those  who  travel  through  the  old 
tobacco-growing  districts." 

Close  observers  declare  that  the  cultivation  of 
tobacco  tends  to  blunt  the  moral  and  religious 
sensibilities,  impairs  the  spiritual  perception,  and 
results  in  many  cases  in  spiritual  death.  If 
tobacco  lessens  courage,  decreases  will  power, 
diminishes  mental  force,  and  deteriorates  bodily 
vigor,  its  constant  use,  as  in  our  country,  cannot  fail 
to  be  manifest  in  the  characteristics  of  the  nation. 

Extracts  from  the  Quarterly  Journal  of  Science^ 
1873:  ''Homer  sang  his  death  song,  Raphael 
painted  his  glorious  Madonnas,  Luther  preached, 
Guttenburg  printed,  Columbus  discovered  a  new 
world  before  tobacco  was  heard  of.  No  rations  of 
tobacco  were  served  out  to  the  heroes  of  Ther- 
mopylae, no  cigar  strung  up  the  nerves  of  Socrates. 
Empires  rose  and  fell,  men  lived  and  loved  and 
died  during  long  ages  without  tobacco.      History 


268  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

was  for  the  most  part  written  before  its  appear- 
ance. *  It  is  the  solace,  the  aider,  the  familiar 
spirit  of  the  thinker,'  cries  the  apologist;  yet 
Plato,  the  divine,  thought  without  its  aid,  Augus- 
tine described  the  glories  of  God's  city,  Dante 
sang  his  majestic,  melancholy  song,  Savonarola 
reasoned  and  died,  Alfred  ruled  wisely  without  it. 
Tyrateus  sang  his  patriotic  song,  Roger  Bacon 
dived  deep  into  nature's  secrets,  the  wise  Stagirite 
sounded  the  depths  of  human  wisdom,  equally 
unaided  by  it.  Harmodius  and  Aristogeiton 
twined  the  myrtle  round  their  swords  and  slew 
the  tyrant  of  their  fatherland  without  its  inspira- 
tion. In  a  few  words,  kings  ruled,  poets  sang,  artists 
painted,  patriots  bled,  martyrs  suffered,  thinkers 
reasoned  before  it  was  known  or  dreamed  of." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE   FOE   OF   THE   HOUSEHOLD. 

I  ONCE  invited  a  lady  to  visit  me  in  my  new 
house  which  had  been  built  after  my  own  plan, 
and  was  very  dear  to  me.  She  brought  with  her 
a  little  son  of  five  years,  and  he  had  a  most  enjoy- 
able time  even  if  I  did  not.  He  made  pictures  on 
the  windows  with  moist  fingers ;  he  swung  from 
the  door-knobs,  kicking  the  paint  with  his  heels; 
he  drew  pictures  on  the  dainty  paper  with  a 
pencil ;  and,  finally,  he  lay  down  on  the  floor  and 
pounded  with  his  heels  on  the  wall ;  to  enjoy  the 
noise,  I  suppose.  When  told  by  his  mother  to 
stop  injuring  the  house  he  exclaimed :  "  Well, 
what  are  houses  made  for  then?" 

When  I  have  seen  the  evident  delight  taken  by 
people  in  the  wilful  destruction  of  their  bodies,  I 
have  thought  that,  like  this  child,  they  imagined 
their  bodily  houses  were  made  to  destroy. 

There  is  one  guest  who  is  as  destructive,  though 
not  as  frank  a  visitor,  as  this  child.  Like  the 
other  false  friends  whom  we  have  described,  he 
claims  to  build  up  while  in  reality  he  is  only 
pulling    down.      He    poses   as  a  royal    individual 

269 


270  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

under  the  title  of  King  Alcohol,  and  many  of  his 
subjects  do  him  loyal  homage.  Although  claim- 
ing the  title  of  royalty,  he  proffers  invaluable 
service.  He  says:  "Admit  me  to  your  house 
and  I  will  add  to  its  powers  and  increase  your 
happiness.  I  will  give  you  added  digestive  force, 
and  increase  your  mental  ability  and  muscular 
vigor;  I  will  enable  you  to  endure  cold,  hunger 
and  hardships ;  I  will  cure  your  diseases,  quiet 
your  pains,  and  comfort  you  in  your  sorrow." 

No  wonder  that  with  such  promises  he  was 
believed  to  be  a  veritable  saviour  from  manifold 
ills,  and,  as  such,  was  received  in  the  palaces  of 
the  rich  and  the  cottages  of  the  poor  with  a  right 
royal  welcome. 

And  how  has  he  kept  his  promises?  For  a 
long  time  it  was  supposed  that  he  actually  did  all 
that  was  claimed  for  him :  songs  were  sung  in  his 
praise,  and  in  homes  and  hospitals,  in  health  and 
disease,  accidents  and  emergencies,  he  was 
thought  to  be  the  one  unfailing  reliance. 

Before  we  study  his  deeds,  let  us  learn  a  little 
of  his  personality.  The  forms  under  which  he 
asks  admission  to  the  bodily  house  are  many. 
Sometimes  he  comes  as  a  right  jolly,  common- 
place fellow  called  Beer,  who  hobnobs  with  those 
whose  purse  is  slim  and  whose  tastes  are  for 
ordinary    pleasures.        Sometimes     as     Cider    he 


THE  FOE    OF  THE  HOUSEHOLD.  271 

claims  to  be  the  companion  of  rustic  enjoyments. 
To  the  more  refined  and  fastidious  he  presents 
himself  as  bright,  sparkling  Wine,  that  claims  only 
to  exhilarate  and  enhance  the  joys  of  life.  Some- 
times in  the  guise  of  Brandy,  Whisky,  Gin,  and  the 
like,  he  makes  a  sharp  appeal  to  the  senses,  and 
more  quickly  deadens  the  sensation  of  discomfort. 
Science,  in  her  investigation,  has  learned  that 
decomposition  is  taking  place  constantly;  that 
substances  are  changing  their  forms,  but  that  in  all 
the  change  nothing  is  lost.  All  organized  sub- 
stances undergo  the  form  of  decomposition  called 
decay,  and  the  decay  of  the  same  substance  under 
different  circumstances  gives  rise  to  different 
products.  Nitrogenous  compounds  decay  very 
readily.  Pure  starch  and  sugar  will  keep  a  long 
time,  but  brought  into  contact  with  nitrogenous 
products  in  the  process  of  decay,  they  will  take 
on  the  same  condition.  We  know  that  one 
decayed  apple  in  a  basket  will  very  soon  spoil  all 
the  rest,  and  we  are  not  very  fond  of  rotten  fruit. 
This  process  of  decay  is  accompanied  by  what  is 
known  as  fermentation,  where  the  substances  are 
broken  up  into  carbonic  acid  and  water.  It  is 
now  conceded  by  scientists  that  in  all  these  pro- 
cesses of  decay  living  organisms,  known  as  bac- 
teria or  ferments,  are  present.  In  the  production 
of    Alcohol    there    must    be    five    things:      First, 


272  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

sugar;  second,  water;  third,  heat;  fourth,  a 
ferment;  and  fifth,  atmospheric  air.  The  juices 
of  vegetables  and  fruits  contain  sugar  and  water; 
bacteria  are  always  found  in  the  air :  hence  these 
juices  exposed  to  the  air  in  a  warm  place  ferment 
and  produce  alcohol. 

All  grains  have  a  great  deal  of  starch  which  can 
be  changed  into  sugar.  In  the  sprouting  of  all 
seeds  a  peculiar  ferment  called  diastase  is  pro- 
duced. When  grain  that  has  sprouted  is  killed 
by  hot  water  and  allowed  to  stand  a  short  time, 
this  ferment  increases  and  thus  produces  what  is 
known  as  malt,  which,  added  to  another  grain  and 
kept  moist  and  warm,  will  change  its  starch  into 
sugar,  and  then  the  fermentation  takes  place 
which  produces  alcohol. 

You  see  that  in  order  that  alcohol  may  exist,  the 
sweet,  nourishing  grain  must  die  and  rot,  and  all 
its  health-giving  properties  be  destroyed  Beer  is 
made  from  the  fermentation  of  barley;  wine  is  the 
fermented  juice  of  grapes  or  other  fruits;  hard- 
cider  is  the  fermented  juice  of  apples.  By  the 
action  of  heat,  alcohol  is  driven  off  from  these 
fermented  liquors,  and  this  is  called  distillation. 
In  the  process  some  water  goes  off  with  the 
alcohol  and  thus  is  formed  various  strong  liquors, 
such  as  brandy  or  whiskey,  which  are  one-half 
alcohol.       Some    wines    are     one-fourth     alcohol, 


THE  FOE    OF   THE  HOUSEHOLD.  273 

Others  not  more  than  one-twentieth ;  cider  is, 
perhaps,  one-fifteenth.  Count  Chaptal  says : 
''Nature  never  forms  spiritous  Hquors ;  she  ripens 
the  grape  upon  the  branch,  but  it  is  art  which 
converts  the  juice  irnto  wines."  Hargreave's  book, 
"Alcohol  and  Science,"  says:  "No  chemist  has 
ever  yet  found  alcohol  among  the  substances 
formed  by  plants.  Nature,  in  the  laboratory  of 
vegetation,  takes  the  poisonous  gases  and  splits 
them  up,  and  then  puts  the  atoms  into  new  groups 
capable  of  nourishing  the  animal  system.  But 
alcohol  is  a  product  of  dissolution,  the  wreck,  the 
disorganization  of  human  food ;  it  is,  in  reality,  a 
product  of  decomposition.  The  juices  of  the 
fruits,  by  the  influence  of  that  fungus  yeast,  are 
turned  into  rottenness,  and  then,  and  then  only,  is 
alcohol  generated  out  of  the  destruction  of  the 
organic  sugar.  It  has  the  same  origin  as  the 
malignant  and  fatal  exhalations  of  pestilence,  the 
putrefaction  of  organic  substances.  Hence,  it  is 
no  more  the  gift  of  the  Creator  than  is  the  mala- 
rial poison  that  breathes  its  contagion  and  strikes 
down  the  young  and  old  with  disease  and  death." 
Sometimes  a  housekeeper  finds  a  can  of  fruit 
that  has  spoiled,  or  "worked,"  perhaps  she  says, 
as  she  throws  it  away,  recognizing  it  as  not  fit  to 
be  eaten.  The  "working"  is  the  process  of  fer- 
mentation, and  wine  or   hard-cider  is  also   spoiled 


274  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

fruit-juice  and  is  no  better  for  use  than  the  can  of 
fermented  fruit. 

To  continue  life  in  the  body  we  must  take  into 
it  the  products  of  Hfe.  Alcohol  contributes  no 
substances  that  form  tissue,  and  when  eliminated 
from  the  excretory  organs  it  is  still  alcohol.  It  is 
thrown  out  through  the  pores  of  the  skin,  through 
the  lungs  and  the  kidneys.  Dr.  Ogsden  of  Aber- 
deen examined  the  body  of  a  woman  who  died 
while  intoxicated,  and  found  in  the  heart  nearly 
four  ounces  of  fluid  having  all  the  qualities  of 
alcohol.  Dr.  Percy  of  Nottingham,  England,  had 
no  difficulty  in  extracting  alcohol  from  the  blood, 
from  the  substances  of  the  brain,  from  the  liver 
and  the  bile.  It  must  not  be  supposed,  however, 
that  Alcohol  leaves  the  body  just  as  he  found  it. 
Everywhere  he  goes  he  leaves  traces  of  his 
destructiveness.  In  the  first  place,  he  is  a  thief  of 
water,  and  begins  his  robbery  as  soon  as  he  enters 
the  house.  He  takes  water  away  from  the  mucous 
membrane  of  the  mouth,  giving  a  puckered  feel- 
ing, more  or  less  severe,  according  to  the  dilution 
of  the  alcohol.  This  abstraction  of  water  takes 
place  throughout  the  body  wherever  Alcohol  goes. 

The  question  is  asked,  *'  Is  not  alcohol  in  some 
sense  a  food  and  therefore  of  value?"  In  reply 
let  us  ask  and  answer  another  question.  What  is 
a  food?     Dr.  Victor  C.  Vaughn,  of  the  University 


THE  FOE    OF  THE  HOUSEHOLD.  275 

of  Michigan,  defines  food  as  ''  Any  substance 
which  aids  in  building  up  or  repairing  tissue,  or 
adds  to  the  sum  total  of  energy  liberated  in  the 
body  in  a  given  time." 

How  far  does  alcohol  answer  these  require- 
ments? In  the  first  place,  we  recall  that  nitrogen 
is  absolutely  essential  to  the  building  up  of  tissue. 
Alcohol  contains  no  nitrogen,  so  it  cannot  be  a 
food  in  the  sense  of  formation  or  repair  of  tissues. 

Energy  manifests  itself  in  the  body  in  the  form 
of  heat  or  activity.  It  is  often  claimed  that 
alcohol  warms  people,  but  close  observation 
proves  that  this  is  not  true,  that  the  warmth  is 
only  in  seeming.  By  paralysis  of  the  vaso-motor 
nerves,  which  govern  the  size  of  the  blood  vessels, 
a  greater  amount  of  blood  goes  to  the  capillaries, 
and  the  individual  feels  a  sensation  of  warmth, 
but  the  clinical  thermometer  will  at  the  same  time 
show  that  the  temperature  is  actually  lowered. 
The  experience  of  Arctic  explorers  demonstrates 
that  alcohol  diminishes  the  power  of  enduring 
extreme  cold.  Sir  John  Richardson,  M.  D.,  of 
the  English  Arctic  expedition,  says :  "  I  am 
quite  satisfied  that  spiritous  liquors  diminish  the 
power  of  resistance  to  cold.  Plenty  of  food  and 
sound  digestion  are  the  best  sources  of  heat." 
The  experience  of  twenty-six  men  traveling  in  the 
far  West,  well  provided  with  food,  clothing,  and 


276  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

whiskey,  but  with  no  means  of  building  a  fire,  illus- 
trates the  deceptive  nature  of  alcohol  in  keeping 
men  warm.  Their  experience  was  severe,  and 
those  suffered  most  who  drank  most.  Those  that 
became  intoxicated  froze  to  death ;  those  that 
drank  less  lived  through  the  night,  but  died  after 
a  time  ;  those  that  drank  moderately  survived,  but 
will  feel  the  effects  of  their  experience  as  long  as 
they  live.  The  three  men  who  survived  without 
any  serious  effects  were  the  three,  who,  through 
the  whole  time,  never  drank  a  drop.  These  men 
were  all  Americans  betv/een  twenty-three  and 
forty-one  years  of  age ;  all  were  equally  provided 
with  blankets;  all  were  in  good  health,  the  only 
difference  being  in  the  amount  of  liquor  which 
they  used. 

In  the  experiments  made  to  discover  whether 
alcohol  is  in  any  sense  a  food  it  is  found  that 
while  most  of  it  is  thrown  out  unchanged,  a  cer- 
tain small  amount  may  be  taken  in  twenty-four 
hours  and  not  make  its  appearance  in  the  excre- 
tions :  that  is,  it  disappears  in  some  way  and 
cannot  be  accounted  for.  From  this  fact  some 
physiologists  argue  that  it  is  oxidized  in  the  body 
and  therefore  becomes  a  source  of  strength,  and 
claim  that  this  amount  of  alcohol  in  twenty-four 
hours  is  a  benefit,  but  more  than  this  is  an  injury. 
If  it  really  is  oxidized  we  would  expect  to  see  the 


THE  FOE    OF   THE  HOUSEHOLD.  277 

effects  in  an  increase  of  strength  in  some  way,  but 
the  more  we  investigate  the  more  we  meet  the 
proof  that  alcohol  in  any  amount,  small  or  great, 
adds  nothing  to  the  power  or  ability  of  the 
individual. 

The  great  Powers  of  the  world  are  beginning  to 
realize  this.  By  order  of  Field-Marshal  Lord 
Wolseley,  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  British 
Army,  careful  and  exhaustive  experiments  have 
been  made  to  learn  the  relative  effects  of  alcohol 
and  of  total  abstinence  upon  the  physical  endur- 
ance of  the  troops.  One  regiment  would  be 
deprived  of  every  drop  of  stimulant.  Another, 
belonging  to  the  same  brigade,  would  be  allowed 
to  purchase  its  malt  liquors  as  usual,  and  a  third 
would  receive  a  sailor's  ration  in  the  form  of 
whiskey. 

"  In  each  instance,  the  experiment  went  to 
show  that,  whereas  at  first,  the  corps  which  had 
received  an  allowance  of  grog  surpassed  the  others 
in  dash  and  in  impetuosity  of  attack,  yet  that, 
after  the  third  or  fourth  day,  its  members  began 
to  show  notable  signs  of  lassitude  and  a  lack  of 
spirit  of  endurance. 

"The  same  manifestations,  though  in  a  minor 
and  slower  degree,  were  apparent  in  the  regiments 
restricted  to  malt  liquors,  whereas  the  men  who 
had     been    kept    from    every    kind    of     stimulant 


278  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

increased  in  staying  power,  alertness  and  vigor 
every  day. 

"  The  result  of  these  experiments  led  the  British 
war  department  to  decide,  not  on  the  ground  of 
principle,  but  solely  for  the  sake  of  maintaining 
the  powers  of  endurance  of  the  troops  engaged  in 
the  Soudan  campaign,  not  to  permit  a  single  drop 
of  stimulant  in  camp  save  for  hospital  use. 

"■  The  scheme  has  fulfilled  all  expectations. 
Thanks  to  total  abstinence,  the  men  have  been  able 
to  make  forced  marches  of  the  most  extraordinary 
character  across  the  burning  desert  and  under  a 
blazing  sun,  the  heat  of  whose  rays  can  only  be 
appreciated  by  those  who  have  lived  under  the 
equator." 

The  United  States  has  long  since  prohibited  the 
daily  ration  of  liquors  to  the  men  in  the  navy,  and 
forbids  the  use  of  stimulants  at  sea.  The  British 
have  not  gone  as  far  as  this,  but  orders  have  been 
recently  issued  to  the  commander  of  all  British 
men-of-war  in  commission  that,  in  place  of  the 
double  rations  of  grog  formerly  served  out  to  the 
crews  when  going  into  action,  not  a  drop  of  alco- 
holic liquor,  no  matter  whether  spirit,  wine,  or 
malt,  is  to  be  allowed  when  there  is  any  fighting 
to  be  done.  They  are,  however,  subject  to  no 
such  restrictions  when  engaged  in  mere  manoeu- 
vers  or  gunnery  practice. 


THE  FOE   OF  THE  HOUSEHOLD.  279 

In  an  official  report  of  prize-firing  of  battleships 
of  the  British  Mediterranean  Squadron,  one  ship, 
the  "  Royal  Oak,"  hit  the  target  only  four  times  in 
seventy,  while  the  "  Ansen  "  failed  to  make  a  single 
hit  in  twenty  rounds. 

Had  the  American  Squadron,  under  Admiral 
Dewey  at  Manila,  done  no  better  than  this,  there 
would  not  have  been  so  overwhelming  a  victory. 
Each  projectile  from  his  guns  seems  to  have  hit  its 
mark,  if  we  may  judge  from  the  annihilation  of 
the  Spanish  fleet.  May  not  the  total  abstinence 
enforced  upon  United  States  men-of-war  have 
had  much  to  do  with  the  superiority  of  American 
gunnery?  And  may  not  the  poor  marksmanship 
of  the  Spanish  be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that 
they,  as  do  the  French,  German,  Russian  and  Italian 
navies,  retain  the  habit  of  doubling  the  allowance 
of  wine  or  spirits  when  going  into  action. 

Not  only  have  governments  been  closely 
observing  the  effects  of  alcohol,  but  business  cor- 
porations have  turned  their  attention  in  the  same 
direction.  Not  long  ago  a  large  railroad  company 
investigated  the  conditions  that  existed  in  every 
accident  that  had  occurred  on  its  lines  during  the 
preceding  five  years.  It  was  found  that  forty  per 
cent  of  all  accidents  was  due  entirely,  or  in  part, 
to  drinking  men.  Railroad  corporations  are 
beginning  to  prohibit  the  use  of  alcohol  by  their 


280  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

employees,  realizing  that  the  men  in  their  employ 
especially  need  delicacy  of  touch,  keenness  of 
vision,  and  acuteness  of  judgment,  all  of  which  are 
impaired  by  the  use  of  alcohol  even  in  moderate 
quantities. 

Experiments  made  upon  a  number  of  individ- 
uals reported  by  Dr.  J.  W.  Grosvenor  at  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion, prove  that  under  the  influence  of  two  drams 
of  alcohol  the  sense  of  feeling  is  diminished  from 
ten  to  fifteen  per  cent.  The  sense  of  vision  is 
diminished  about  eleven  per  cent.  The  ability  to 
judge  between  weights  requires  acute  perceptive 
faculties  and  this  is  lessened  about  thirty  per  cent 
by  the  same  amounts  of  alcohol. 

Everywhere  through  the  house  Alcohol  goes 
with  the  blood  into  all  the  minute  capillaries.  It 
may  cause  the  little  red  corpuscles  to  cling 
together  in  clots,  and  these  clots  may  lodge  some- 
where in  the  blood  vessels,  stopping  the  circulation 
through  that  part  and  causing  it  to  die;  or  they 
may  go  to  the  lungs  and  stop  the  circulation 
there ;  or  to  the  heart  and  prevent  its  action ;  or 
to  the  brain  and  produce  apoplexy.  Alcohol 
changes  the  shape  of  the  red  corpuscles,  and 
interferes  with  their  power  to  carry  oxygen  to  all 
parts  of  the  body. 

But  alcohol  helps  digestion,  you  say.     What  is 


THE  FOE    OF  THE  HOUSEHOLD.  281 

the  report  of  Science  on  this  point.  Dr.  Beau- 
mont again  gives  us  valuable  information.  He 
observed  that  whenever  St.  Martin  drank  any  alco- 
holic beverages,  whether  it  was  beer,  wine  or 
stronger  drinks,  the  coat  of  the  stomach  became 
inflamed,  and  when  he  had  been  drinking  freely 
for  some  days  there  were  ulcerous  patches  which 
increased  with  the  amount  of  drink. 

People  sometimes  say  they  are  sure  that  alco- 
holic drinks  do  not  hurt  them  because  they  are 
not  conscious  of  any  disturbing  effect;  but  even 
when  Dr.  Beaumont  saw  these  ulcerous  patches  in 
the  stomach  of  St.  Martin,  the  man  himself  had 
no  pain.  If  the  doctor  had  judged  by  St.  Martin's 
feelings,  he  would  have  said  no  harm  was  being 
done  ;  but  the  stomach  told  another  story.  When 
liquor  was  abandoned,  the  stomach  was  gradually 
restored  to  the  healthy  state.  Dr.  Beaumont 
says:  *'  It  was  not  ardent  spirits  alone  that  pro- 
duced these  changes,  but  even  wine  and  beer. 
Nor  are  these  changes  indicated  by  any  ordinary 
symptoms,  or  particular  sensations  ;  their  exist- 
ence was  only  ascertained  by  ocular  demon- 
strations." 

But  if  a  stomach,  inflamed  by  alcohol,  should 
complain,  the  man  usually  argues  that  it  is  a  call 
for  more  drink.  If  he  takes  the  drink,  he  feels 
the   gnawing   lessened,  and   then  argues  that  the 


282  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

drink  is  beneficial.  The  truth  is  that  the  alcohol 
deadens  the  sense  of  discomfort  by  a  partial 
paralysis  of  the  nerves  of  sensation,  and  as  soon 
as  they  have  recovered  from  this  paralysis,  the 
feeling  of  uneasiness  returns.  This  process 
repeated  year  after  year  may  result  in  a  serious 
disease,  perhaps  even  in  cancer. 

Alcohol  not  only  irritates  the  mucous  mem- 
brane of  the  stomach  but  it  precipitates  the  pepsin. 
What  does  that  mean?  Well,  it  means  this: 
There  is  in  the  gastric  juice  an  active  substance 
called  pepsin  which  has  the  power  to  digest  food. 
When  alcohol  is  taken,  it  causes  this  pepsin  to 
separate  from  the  gastric  juice,  to  settle  as  a 
sediment,  and  to  lose  its  active  power.  It  is  as  if 
it  took  the  knives  and  other  culinary  utensils  out 
of  the  hands  of  the  cook,  threw  them  in  a  heap  on 
the  floor,  and  claimed  that  that  was  helping  the 
cook  to  do  his  work. 

Dr.  J.  H.  Kellogg,  in  his  studies  of  the  effects 
of  various  substances  on  the  process  of  digestion, 
finds  that  alcohol  always  hinders  stomach  diges- 
tion. From  his  experiments  he  learned  that  less 
than  an  ordinary  tablespoonful  of  claret  taken 
with  a  full  meal  lessened  the  digestive  power 
nearly  four  per  cent.  Three  tablespoonsful  of 
Toledo,  Milwaukee  or  New  Haven  beer  retarded 
digestion  to  a  very  marked  degree.     These  inves- 


THE  FOE    OF  THE  HOUSEHOLD.  283 

tigations  of  Dr.  Kellogg  have  not  been  chemical 
experiments  conducted  in  a  laboratory,  but  are 
vital  experiments  upon  actual  digestive  processes 
as  explained  in  the  chapter  on  Spicy  Visitors. 

The  effect  of  alcohol  on  the  heart  is  marked. 
It  interferes  with  its  steady  pumping,  the  action 
becomes  more  and  more  rapid,  therefore  time  for 
rest  is  lessened,  and  this  wears  the  heart  out  faster 
than  is  necessary.  Experiments  have  proven  that 
if  a  man  drinks  only  one  fluid-ounce  of  alcohol  a 
day,  his  heart  will,  during  that  time,  beat  four 
hundred  and  thirty  times  oftener  than  it  does  nor- 
mally, and  eight  ounces  will  cause  it  to  beat  about 
twenty-five  thousand  times  oftener  than  it  should. 
Even  two  ounces  of  alcohol,  evenly  distributed 
throughout  the  day,  will  raise  the  number  of  heart- 
beats by  about  six  thousand  in  twenty-four  hours. 
The  increased  rush  is  partly  due,  also,  to  the 
paralyzing  of  the  nerves  of  the  capillaries  and 
partly  by  the  paralyzing  of  the  nerve  the  office  of 
which  is  to  slow  the  action  of  the  heart. 

This  increased  rapidity  of  the  heart's  action  is 
accompanied  by  an  even  greater  diminution  of 
power.  Experiments  conducted  by  Professor 
Martin  of  Johns  Hopkins  University  proves  that 
even  so  small  a  quantity  as  one-half  of  one  pe* 
cent  of  alcohol  in  the  whole  volume  of  the  blood 
diminishes  the  work  done  by  the  heart  to  such  a 


284  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING . 

degree  that  the  left  ventricle  will  not  send  out  blood 
enough  to  supply  the  arteries  that  go  to  nourish 
the  heart  itself.  This  most  clearly  proves  that 
alcohol  is  not  a  heart  tonic. 

The  kidneys  are  seldom  found  in  a  healthy  con- 
dition in  a  drunkard,  or  even  in  a  moderate 
drinker.  Dr.  Christison,  of  Edinburgh,  says  that 
nearly  four-fifths  of  the  cases  of  kidney  diseases 
with  which  he  has  had  to  deal  were  in  persons 
who  were  real  drunkards,  or  else  used  alcoholic 
liquors  constantly,  though,  perhaps,  never  becom- 
ing really  intoxicated. 

The  liver  is  the  organ  first  affected  by  the  use 
of  alcohol.  It  becomes  greatly  enlarged  in  size 
through  being  loaded  with  fat.  We  have  studied 
the  wonderful  work  done  in  the  liver  and  can 
readily  understand  that  if  its  healthful  action  is 
interfered  with,  the  whole  body  is  more  or  less 
disturbed.  Alcohol  changes  the  secretion  of  bile 
from  a  bright  yellow  color  to  green,  or  almost 
black,  and  from  a  thin  fluid  to  one  the  consistency 
of  tar.  It  hardens  the  liver  tissue  until,  as  Har- 
greave  says:  "The  liver  sometimes  becomes  full 
of  unabsorbcd  matter  which  forms  in  spots  and 
consists  of  a  kind  of  consolidated  pus,  such  as  is 
seen  to  form  under  a  scab,  or  when  an  ulcer  is 
opened.  These  little  spots  at  first  may  not  be 
larger  than  a  pin-head,   but  as  the  inflammation 


THE  FOE    OF   THE  HOUSEHOLD.  285 

increases,  two  or  more  unite  to  form  a  larger  spot, 
and  these  grow  until  at  last  the  whole  liver  is 
changed  in  color."  Poultry  dealers  sometimes 
mix  alcohol  with  the  food  of  fowls  in  order  to 
increase  the  size  of  their  livers.  The  examination 
of  drunkards  after  death  discloses  horrible  things 
concerning  the  effect  of  alcohol  on  the  liver. 
Sometimes  it  is  covered  with  tubercles,  and  the 
blood  vessels  are  entirely  destroyed,  showing  that 
circulation  had  ceased  even  before  death.  Some- 
times the  liver  is  covered  with  lumps,  sometimes 
with  fungus  growths.  This  increase  of  the  size  of 
the  liver,  together  with  the  stretching  of  the 
stomach  in  men  who  drink  large  quantities  of 
beer,  changes  the  beautiful  outlines  of  the  body, 
and  they  become  coarse  and  unsymmetrical,  and 
yet  although  the  external  appearance  may  indicate 
unhealthful  conditions,  the  individual  may  feel  no 
pain. 

Dr.  Trotter  says  of  chronic  disease  of  the  liver 
that  it  is  not  painful,  is  slow  in  its  progress  and 
frequently  gives  no  alarm  until  some  incurable 
affection  is  the  consequence ;  so  that  the  liver  and 
stomach  of  the  moderate  drinker  may  be  seriously 
diseased  while  the  man  imagines  himself  to  be  in 
good  health. 

But  we  have  not  yet  recited  all  the  evil  effects 
of  alcohol.     It  is  carried  to  the   brain  through  the 


286  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

circulation  and  there  sets  up  its  peculiar  poison- 
ous action,  paralyzing  the  nerves,  and,  to  a  great 
extent,  destroying  the  substance  of  the  brain  itself. 
We  remember  that  the  brain  is  of  a  jelly-like  con- 
sistency, and  we  learn  that  all  the  substances  of 
which  it  is  composed,  except  its  albuminous 
frame-work,  are  soluble  in  warm  alcohol ;  so  that 
the  brain  of  the  drinker  becomes  smaller  and 
harder,  and  less  capable  of  doing  its  desired  work. 
As  a  result,  we  may  have  the  production  of  apo- 
plexy, epilepsy,  insanity  or  imbecility. 

Dr.  Pliny  Earle,  of  the  Lunatic  Hospital,  North- 
ampton, Mass.,  says:  ''There  are  at  least  five 
distinct  varieties  of  mental  derangement  which 
own  alcoholic  intemperance  as  their  direct  and 
efficient  cause." 

Alcohol  is  a  most  effectual  destroyer  of  the 
power  of  self-control.  As  Dr.  Kerr  says:  "  The 
shiftless,  unstable  victim  is  tossed  about  on  the 
ocean  of  inebriate  excitation  like  a  rudderless  ship 
in  a  storm."  It  is  the  strong  man  who  refrains, 
the  weak  man  who  yields.  Alcohol  is  sometimes 
taken  under  the  supposition  that  it  increases 
mental  power.  It  is  a  physiological  fact  that  one- 
fifth  of  the  blood  is  circulating  continuously 
through  the  brain,  and  wc  remember  that  alcohol 
in  the  body  undergoes  no  change  but  remains 
always  alcohol.     We  see  then  that  one-fifth  of  the 


THE  FOE    OF  THE  HOUSEHOLD.  287 

alcohol  that  is  in  the  whole  amount  of  the  blood 
must  be  in  the  brain  and  we  begin  to  wonder  what 
will  be  the  effect  on  the  brain  cells.  Dr.  T.  D. 
Crothers  says  that  in  small  quantities  alcohol 
excites,  that  is,  irritates  these  cells,  and  that 
large  amounts  so  paralyze  that  the  gray  cells  are 
incapable  of  performing  their  functions. 

Other  scientists  claim  that  alcohol  never  stimu- 
lates but  depresses  the  central  nervous  system, 
and  they  explain  the  symptoms  of  excitement  as 
not  due  to  stimulation  but  as  the  result  of  the 
weakening  of  the  will,  the  lessening  of  the  power 
of  self-restraint. 

Dr.  Gushing  says:  "The  latter  theory  seems 
the  more  satisfactory,  for  there  is  evidence  on 
every  hand  that  even  the  smallest  quantities  of 
alcohol  tend  to  lessen  the  activity  of  the  brain. 
It  would  seem  to  act  most  strongly,  and  therefore 
in  the  smallest  quantities  on  the  most  recently 
acquired  faculties,  to  annihilate  those  qualities 
that  have  been  built  up  through  education  and 
experience,  the  power  of  self-control  and  the  sense 
of  responsibility."  This  learned  man  asserts  that 
the  evidences  of  the  depressing  action  of  alcohol 
on  the  brain  are  embarrassing  by  their  number. 
Soldiers  can  march  longer  without  it,  typesetters 
can  do  more  work  and  make  fewer  errors  :  all 
forms  of  mechanical  work  are  hindered  by  its  use. 


288  OUJ^   BODILY  DWELLING. 

Kraepelin  found  in  a  series  of  careful  experi- 
ments that  the  powers  of  intellect  were  weakened, 
and  he  decides  that  alcohol  does  not  add  to  the 
ability  to  work  or  to  think. 

The  man  who  has  taken  alcohol  will  talk  wildly, 
without  reason ;  in  fact,  will  be  temporarily  insane 
because  the  speech  centers  are  affected.  He  will 
be  unable  to  walk  straight,  for  the  cells  that  pre- 
side over  the  motor  functions  are  paralyzed,  and 
this  paralysis  explains  why  he  will  also  have  a 
lessening  of  sensation  and  of  the  powers  of  sight 
and  hearing.  If  he  takes  still  larger  amounts  the 
paralyzing  influence  may  extend  to  the  centers 
that  govern  breathing  and  circulation  and  he  dies 
from  alcoholic  poisoning.  It  is  really  coming 
very  near  the  truth  when  we  speak  of  a  man  as 
'•  dead  drunk,"  for  in  that  state  he  is  so  completely 
paralyzed  that  his  condition  is  a  very  dangerous 
one. 

In  alcoholism,  death  takes  place,  Dr.  Crothers 
assures  us,  when  there  is  one  part  of  alcohol  to 
one  hundred  of  blood. 

In  our  study  of  the  telegraph,  we  saw  that  cer- 
tain parts  of  the  brain  control  certain  portions  of 
the  body,  and  it  is  now  conceded  that  one  part  of 
the  brain  is  intimately  connected  with  the  digestive 
apparatus.  This  is  shown  in  the  recognition  of 
the  necessity  for  food.     This  brain  center,  repeat- 


THE  FOE    OF   THE  HOUSEHOLD.  289 

edly  irritated  and  poisoned,  creates  a  false  appe- 
tite which  calls  fo^-  the  paralyzing  effect  of  the 
same  substance  that  has  produced  the  evil.  If 
the  use  of  alcoholic  liquors  is  begun  in  youth,  the 
effect  is  just  so  much  the  more  injurious;  and  we 
have  the  testimony  that  in  beer-drinking  countries 
the  habit  of  alcoholic  liquors  among  children  is 
continued  even  to  the  production  of  drunken- 
ness. 

So  alarming  has  been  the  increase  of  drunken- 
ness among  children  attending  school  in  Austria, 
that  the  Vienna  school-board  have  been  making 
an  effort  to  induce  the  government  to  prohibit  the 
sale  of  liquors  to  children  under  fifteen. 

In  England,  it  is  reported  that  children  of  seven 
years  old  have  been  treated  for  delirium  tremens. 
Dr.  Kerr  relates  several  cases  of  delirium  among 
children,  saying  that  babies  of  not  more  than  two 
years  of  age  would  cry  for  their  daily  allowance  of 
spirits.  He  also  asserts  that  the  use  of  wines  for 
breakfast  and  dinner  by  children  is  leading  to 
inebriety. 

Everything  that  lessens  nutrition  and  depresses 
physical  powers  paves  the  way  to  indulgence  in 
alcohol.  So,  bad  air,  impure  food,  overwork  and 
mental  strain  may  be  classed  as  provocative  of  the 
use  of  alcohol.  On  the  other  hand,  we  may 
enumerate  pure  air,  good  food,  cheerful  surround- 


290  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

ings  and  exercise  as  among  the  most  valuable 
remedies,  and,  better  still,  as  preventives. 

The  same  plea  is  made  for  alcohol  as  for  tea 
and  coffee :  that  it  checks  waste,  and  therefore  is 
an  indirect  food ;  but  we  may  again  bring  as 
counter  argument,  the  statement  that  the  checking 
of  normal  waste  is  not  desirable. 

Dr.  Campbell,  of  Edinburgh,  says :  **  It  seems 
to  me  a  remarkable  fallacy  that  physiologists 
should  persist  in  talking  of  the  propriety  of  spar- 
ing tissue,  inasmuch  as  the  proper  function  of 
tissue  is  its  destruction,  and  life  the  resultant  of 
the  change.  Indeed,  when  any  tissue  is  unduly 
retained  in  the  system,  it  may  of  itself  constitute 
the  material  of  disease." 

All  the  activities  of  life  result  in  destruction  of 
tissue,  and  this  creates  a  demand  for  the  material 
of  which  new  tissue  can  be  formed.  This  is  why 
exercise  makes  us  hungry.  We  should  not  be  so 
anxious  to  prevent  waste  of  tissue  as  we  should  be 
to  see  that  all  waste  is  duly  eliminated  and  the 
destruction  repaired  by  the  digestion  of  whole- 
some food. 

One  of  the  strongest  evidences  that  alcohol  is  a 
destroyer  of  life  is  found  in  the  statistics  of  the 
mortality  of  drinking  people  compared  with  that 
of  abstainers. 

Life    insurance    companies  will    not   insure  the 


THE  FOE    OF   THE  HOUSEHOLD.  291 

lives  of  intemperate  people,  but  they  will  insure 
moderate  drinkers.  The  Temperance  Provident 
Institution  insures  no  one  but  total  abstainers,  and 
from  the  statistics  of  this  society  it  seems  that 
total  abstinence  from,  alcoholics  reduces  the  death 
rate  at  least  one-half. 

Some  years  ago  Mr.  Locke,  better  known  as 
Petroleum  V.  Nasby,  caused  the  physicians  of  the 
city  of  Toledo,  Ohio,  to  be  interviewed  in  regard  to 
their  opinion  of  alcohol.  The  universal  statement 
was  against  its  use.  One  physician  had  especially 
noticed  the  sudden  death  of  men  in  the  prime  of 
life,  who  outwardly  bore  a  healthy  appearance  and 
yet  suddenly  fell  victims  to  pneumonia,  apoplexy, 
heart  difficulty,  or  Bright's  disease,  and  observed 
that  they  were  principally  drinkers  of  beer.  An 
army  surgeon  said  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  any 
part  of  a  beer  drinker's  machinery  that  is  doing 
its  work  as  it  ought.  Medical  men  dread  even 
moderate  drinkers  as  patients.  Surgeons  learn 
that  men  who  are  in  the  habit  of  using  alcoholic 
beverages  will  not  easily  recover  from  even  slight 
surgical  operations. 

As  alcohol  is  supposed  by  many  to  be  a  specific 
remedy  in  cholera,  it  might  be  interesting  to  study 
the  testimony  of  physcians  on  this  point.  Har- 
greaves  says  :  *'  Alcoholics  tend  to  produce  a 
condition    in   the   system    resembling    cholera    by 


292  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

changing  the  arterial  blood  into  venous  without 
the  substance  of  the  tissues  having  taken  any  share 
in  the  transformation." 

A  Warsaw  physician  says  concerning  an  epi- 
demic of  this  disease :  '*  Cholera,  up  to  the 
present  period,  has  respect  for  persons  who  lead 
regular  lives,  and  has  struck  without  pity  every 
man  w^orn  out  by  excess  and  weakened  by  dissi- 
pation." Professor  Mackintosh  says:  *' It  has 
been  computed  that  five-sixths  of  all  who  have 
fallen  by  cholera  in  England  were  persons  of 
intemperate  habits." 

The  cultivation  of  vineyards  and  the  manufac- 
ture of  wines  are  advocated  by  some  as  a  means 
of  preventing  drunkenness,  but  observation  of 
wine-drinking  in  various  countries  proves  this  to 
be  a  mistake.  All  wines  have  a  greater  or  less 
amount  of  alcohol  in  them,  and  many  wines  are 
made  so  strong  by  the  addition  of  an  extra  quan- 
tity of  alcohol  that  they  are  almost  equal  to  dis- 
tilled liquors.  They  tend  to  the  production  of  all 
the  diseases  which  alcohol  can  produce. 

In  view  of  all  that  we  have  learned  of  the  effects 
of  alcohol  on  the  system,  we  begin  to  wonder 
what  its  value  may  be  in  the  treatment  of  disease. 
It  was  once  believed  to  be  a  veritable  panacea  for 
all  human  ills :  was  called,  indeed,  Aqua  VitcE,  or 
water  of  life.      It  was  found  in  all  domestic  medi- 


THE  FOE    OF   THE  HOUSEHOLD.  293 

cine  chests  and  prescribed  by  all  physicians  who 
judged  of  its  probable  value  solely  by  the  sensa- 
tions and  actions  of  the  patient.  These  patients 
felt  less  pain,  appeared  more  lively,  the  heart  beat 
more  rapidly  and  so  the  doctors  said  it  was  a  good 
thing.  Because  people  took  alcohol  and  lived, 
they  said  it  was  a  food  ;  because  the  heart  beat 
faster,  they  said  it  was  a  heart  tonic ;  because  the 
patient  seemed  more  lively,  they  said  it  was  a 
stimulant.  Now  we  learn  that  in  wasting  diseases 
it  can  add  nothing  to  the  building  up  of  tissues ; 
therefore,  it  is  not  a  direct  food.  Its  claim  that  it 
is  an  indirect  food  rests  upon  the  fact  that  it 
lessens  the  distribution  of  oxygen  and  all  the 
processes  of  waste  are  lessened ;  but  this  lessening 
of  molecular  changes  is  accompanied  by  the  les- 
sening of  nutrition  as  well  as  of  waste,  and  also  by 
fatty  degeneration,  which  certainly  is  not  desir- 
able. The  tissue-cells  are  degenerated,  the  activity 
of  the  white  corpuscles  decreased,  and  as  these 
white  corpuscles  are  the  guards  which  destroy 
poisons  and  hurtful  substances  in  the  body,  to 
lessen  their  activity  is  to  do  harm. 

It  has  been  thought  to  be  a  tonic,  but  as  it 
lessens  the  excretions  of  poisonous  elements 
which  should  be  eliminated  and  allows  the  accu- 
mulation of  waste  products  in  the  system,  it  is 
difftcult  to  see  how  it  can  at  the  same  time  give 


294  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

strength  and  tone.  It  is  now  known  that  in  con- 
valescence from  fevers  or  other  long  illnesses 
alcohol  is  no  helper  in  recovering  strength. 

Its  apparent  effect  as  a  heart  tonic  rests  upon 
the  fact  that  it  paralyzes  the  nerves  that  govern 
the  regularity  of  heart-beats  before  it  does  those 
that  stimulate  it  to  action,  so  it  at  first  beats  more 
rapidly,  and  then  more  feebly. 

Dr.  Crothers  says:  ''The  fact  is  that  alcohol 
is  ceasing  to  be  used  as  a  medicine  because  its 
real  action  is  becoming  known.  Facts  are  accu- 
mulating which  prove  that  it  is  always  and  every- 
where a  depressant  and  narcotic,  that  it  cannot 
build  up  tissue,  but  always  acts  as  a  degenerative 
power,  and  that  its  apparent  stimulating  effects  are 
erroneous  and  misleading." 

Believing  that  the  scientific  discoveries  of  to-day 
are  more  to  be  trusted  than  the  mere  superficial 
observations  of  the  past,  we  must  believe  that 
alcohol  has  little  or  no  place  in  the  treatment  of 
disease. 

The  loss  to  the  nation  through  alcohol  can 
scarcely  be  estimated.  We  are  told  that  in  the 
United  States  one  hundred  thousand  persons  die 
every  year  as  drunkards.  It  is  calculated  that  for 
every  death  there  are  fifty  cases  of  illness.  Add 
to  this  the  loss  of  life  resulting  from  the  frenzy  of 
intoxication   or  from  the  inefficiency  of    drunken 


THE  FOE    OF   THE  HOUSEHOLD.  295 

men  in  responsible  positions ;  of  children  muti- 
lated or  crippled  or  smothered  accidentally  by 
drunken  parents,  and  the  loss  becomes  appalling. 

The  extravagant  expenditure  of  money  is  also  a 
question  seriously  to  be  considered.  It  is  esti- 
mated that  nine  hundred  million  dollars  a  year  is 
expended  in  the  purchase  of  alcoholic  beverages 
and  that  it  costs  the  United  States  not  less  than 
sixty  million  dollars  a  year  to  support  pauperism 
and  crime,  produced  mostly  by  alcohol.  Pene- 
tentiaries,  reformatories,  jails  and  inebriate  asylums 
are  all  sources  of  expenditure  which  would  be 
greatly  lessened  if  total  abstinence  prevailed.  I 
shall  only  be  able  to  indicate  in  these  pages  a  very 
small  amount  of  the  actual  evils  caused  by  the  use 
of  alcohol. 

If  men  came  into  our  house,  no  matter  how 
elegantly  dressed  or  with  what  polished  man- 
ners, and  at  once  began  a  destruction  of  our  most 
precious  treasures,  even  of  our  dwelling  itself,  it 
would  not  take  us  very  long  to  rid  ourselves  of  the 
intruder. 

When  we  look  over  the  charges  brought  against 
this  titled  adventurer,  King  Alcohol,  when  we  see 
that  from  the  very  first  moment  of  his  entering 
our  bodily  dwelling,  he  begins  his  work  of  destruc- 
tion and  continues  it  in  all  parts  of  the  body, 
tearing  down,   destroying,  paralyzing  and  utterly 


296  OUR  B ODIL  V  D WELLING. 

ruining,  I  think  we  will  all  agree  that  we  would  be 
showing  ourselves  wise  if  we  set  ourselves  firmly 
to  oppose  the  admission  of  Alcohol  in  all  forms 
and  under  every  disguise,  never  suffering  ourselves 
to  be  deceived  by  his  pretensions,  but  accepting 
as  true  the  Biblical  statement:  "Wine  is  a 
mocker,  strong  drink  is  raging;  and  whosoever  is 
deceived  thereby  is  not  wise." 


AIDS  TO  TEACHERS  AND  SCHOLARS. 


PART  I. 


Questions  on  Chapter  I. —  Page  13. 

I.  How  many  people  have  you  ever  seen  in 
your  life?  2.  How  do  we  know  people  ?  3.  How 
do  our  bodily  houses  differ?  4.  When  did  you 
enter  your  bodily  dwelling?  5.  Who  entered  it 
at  the  same  time?  6.  How  much  interest  should 
you  take  in  your  body?  7.  Who  was  the  archi- 
tect of  your  bodily  house?  8.  Where  is  the  Taj 
Mahal?  9.  How  many  workmen  did  it  take  to 
build  it?  10.  How  many  years?  11.  What  did 
it  cost?  12.  What  is  it?  13.  What  house  is 
more  beautiful  than  the  Taj  Mahal?  14.  What  is 
the  body  besides  a  dwelling?  15.  How  does 
man  become  acquainted  with  the  outside  world? 


Questions  on  Chapter  11. —  Page  17. 

I.  Did  you  ever  see  a  house  walk?  2.  How 
many  stories  has  our  bodily  house?  3.  What 
wonderful  things  can  it  do?  4.  Of  what  is  it 
made?      5.    What  is  the   material  of  which    it   is 

297 


298  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

made?  6.  What  shape  are  the  bones?  7.  When 
united  what  do  they  form?  8.  What  is  the  upper 
story  of  the  bodily  house?  9.  What  is  the 
third  story  called?  10.  What  are  the  beams? 
II,  How  many?  12.  What  tower  supports  the 
upper  story?  13.  What  is  the  second  story 
called?  14.  What  is  the  lowest  story?  15.  What 
is  attached  to  this?  16.  How  many  columns  has 
our  bodily  dwelling?  17.  What  is  its  purpose? 
18.  How  is  it  composed?  19.  Why  is  the  spine 
curved?  20.  How  are  the  arms  and  legs  attached 
to  the  body?  21.  What  is  a  hinge  joint? 
22.  What  is  a  ball  and  socket  joint?  23.  What 
is  bone  made  of?  24.  How  can  we  destroy  the 
animal  matter  of  bone?  25.  How  can  we  destroy 
the  earthy  matter  of  bone?  26.  Why  do  the 
bones  of  old  people  break  more  easily  than  those 
of  children?  27.  How  do  the  flexible  bones  of 
the  baby  change  to  the  hard  bones  of  the  man? 
28.  What  is  the  shape  of  the  long  bones  at  the 
end?  29.  What  holds  them  together?  30.  How 
are  the  bones  oiled? 


Questions  on  Chapter  HI. —  Page  27. 

I.  What  is  staff?  2.  Of  what  are  the  walls  of 
our  bodily  house  made?  3.  What  are  muscles 
for?  4.  What  do  we  find  in  a  Swedish  move- 
ment room?  5.  What  is  the  first  property  of 
muscle?  6.  How  can  you  illustrate  it  on  your- 
self?     7.    With  what  force  do  muscles  contract? 

8.  What    is    the     second     property    of    muscle? 

9.  What  does  this  mean?      10.  What  is  the  third 


AIDS  TO    TEACHERS  AND  SCHOLARS.         299 

property  of  muscle?  ii.  Why  is  this  important? 
12.  Why  are  not  muscles  laid  in  flat  masses  over 
the  framework?  13.  Of  what  are  muscles  made? 
14.  Of  what  are  fibres  made?  15.  What  is  a 
fibril?  16.  What  is  the  difference  between  fibres 
of  thread  and  fibres  of  muscles?  17.  How  are 
muscles  held  together?  18.  W^hat  is  the  use 
of  fat?  19.  What  is  the  shape  of  muscle? 
20.  What  is  a  tendon?  21.  How  many  muscles 
are  there  in  the  body?  22.  How  do  they  work? 
23.  Which  are  the  flexor  muscles?  24.  Which 
the  extensor?  25,  How  many  muscles  are  needed 
to  turn  the  eyeball?  26.  How  many  are  there  in 
the  arm  and  hand?  27.  Which  muscles  are 
striped?  28.  Which  are  unstriped?  29.  What 
muscle  lifts  the  upper  lip?  30.  Which  one 
puckers  the  forehead?  31.  What  is  the  proper 
attitude  in  standing?  32.  What  causes  round 
shoulders?  33.  How  can  they  be  prevented  or 
cured?  34.  How  can  you  tell  whether  you  stand 
in  a  correct  attitude  or  not?  35.  What  is  the 
advantage  of  standing  correctly? 


Questions  on  Chapter  IV. —  Page  45. 

I.  What  is  the  sheathing  of  our  wonderful 
house?  2.  What  is  the  outer  layer  called? 
3.  What  is  beneath  this?  4.  What  runs  through 
the  dermis?  5.  What  is  the  difference  between 
the  work  of  man  and  the  Divine  Architect? 
6.  How  is  our  bodily  house  painted?  7.  What 
is  the  office  of  the  skin? 


300  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

Questions  on  Chapter  V. —  Page  48. 

I.  What  is  an  important  part  of  very  modern 
houses?  2.  What  goes  through  muscles,  bones 
and  skin?  3.  Why  does  pricking  you  with  a  pin 
draw  blood?  4.  What  are  the  sweat  glands? 
5.  How  long  are  they?  6.  How  far  would  they 
reach  laid  end  to  end?  7.  What  is  perspiration? 
8.  What  is  insensible  perspiration?  9.  How  much 
does  it  amount  to  in  24  hours?  10.  How  much 
does  exercise  increase  it?  11.  Why  are  we 
thirsty?      12.  Why  should  we  bathe  frequently? 

13.  How    soon    after    eating    should    we    bathe? 

14.  Why  is  it  dangerous  to  go  swimming  soon 
after  eating?  15.  Why  should  feeble  persons 
rest  after  a  bath?  16.  Who  may  exercise  after  a 
bath?  17.  Why  not  bathe  when  exhausted? 
18.  What  should  be  the  temperature  of  the  bath 
room?  19.  What  should  follow  a  hot  bath? 
20.  Why?  21.  When  is  the  best  time  of  day  to 
bathe?  22.  What  is  the  effect  of  rubbing  the 
skin  with  oil?  23.  What  is  the  effect  of  dry 
rubbing? 


Questions  on  Chapter  VI. —  Page  53. 

I.  What  is  a  thatch?  2.  Has  our  bodily  house 
a  thatch?  3.  What  makes  the  color  of  the  hair 
different  in  different  people?  4.  What  causes 
gray  hair?  5.  What  keep  hair  oily?  6.  What 
belongs  to  each  hair?  7.  Why  does  it  hurt  when 
your  hair  is  pulled?  8.  What  makes  the  hair 
stand    on   end?       9.    Prove    that    hair    is    elastic. 


AIDS   TO    TEACHERS  AXD  SCHOLARS.         301 

lO.  How  strong  is  hair?  ii.  Where  is  hair 
found?  12.  What  are  finger  nails?  13.  Of  what 
use  are  they?  14.  Why  should  we  take  care  of 
them  ? 


Questions  on  Chapter  VII. —  Page  56. 

I.  What  part  of  our  bodily  house  is  called  the 
cupola?  2.  What  shape  is  it?  3.  How  is  it  cov- 
ered? 4.  Roofed?  5.  How  many  windows? 
6.  How  can  we  see  on  all  sides?  7.  What  is  there 
above  each  window?  8.  What  is  its  use?  9.  What 
is  there  between  the  windows?  10.  Who  goes  in 
and  out  of  these  doorways?  11.  What  is  there 
below  the  portico?  12.  What  are  there  on  the 
sides  of  the  copula?  13.  How  does  man  become 
acquainted  with  the  world?  14.  If  his  windows 
are  broken  what  happens?  15.  How  does  man 
injure  his  eyes?  16.  How  many  bones  in  the 
framework  of  the  copula?  17.  How  are  they 
joined  together?  18.  What  are  the  characteristics 
of  the  outside  layer?  19.  Of  the  inner  layer? 
20.  What  is  between  these?  21.  What  mem- 
branes line  the  inside  of  the  copula?  22.  What 
is  the  outside  membrane?  23.  What  is  the  outer 
one  of  the  three  called?  24.  The  middle  one? 
25.  Why?     26.  The  inner  one? 


Questions  on  Chapter  VIII. —  Page  61. 

I.  What  is  the  room  inside  the  copula  called? 
2.  What  is  in  this  room?  3.  What  does  the 
French  writer  call  it?     4.  What  is  the  brain  like? 


302  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

5.  What  is  the  average  weight  of  human  brain? 

6.  Of  what  is  the  brain  composed?  7.  What  are 
the  convolutions?  8.  How  is  the  brain  divided? 
9.  Where  is  the  great  brain  located?  10.  The 
smaller  brain?  11.  What  connects  the  two  brains? 
12.   Of  what  is  the  brain  made? 


Questions  on  Chapter  IX. —  Page  64, 

I.  What  folding  doors  are  there  on  the  front  of 
the  copula?  2.  What  closes  them?  3.  What 
can  these  doors  do  ?  4.  Where  do  we  find  mucous 
membrane?  5.  What  is  its  purpose?  6.  When 
guests  enter  through  the  pink  folding  doors  who 
receives  them?  7.  Are  there  always  32  ?  8.  Are 
they  always  dressed  in  white  uniforms?  9.  Where 
arethese  attendants  in  little  new  houses?  10.  How 
many  of  these?  1 1 .  What  do  they  do  when  they 
want  to  see  the  world?  12.  What  happens  after 
six  or  seven  years?  13.  What  are  the  front 
centre  teeth  called?  14.  What  is  the  long  sharp 
one  on  each  side  of  these?  15.  What  are  the  bi- 
cuspids? 16.  Why  are  they  so  called?  17.  W^hat 
are  back  of  these?  18.  Do  the  teeth  need  to  be 
used?  19.  What  should  be  done  to  keep  them 
in  good  health?     20.   How  may  they  be  injured? 

21.  What   guard   occupies   the    reception   room? 

22.  What  is  his  business?  23.  Is  he  to  be  fully 
relied  upon?  24.  What  affable  attendants  are  in 
the  reception  room?     25.  What  is  their  business? 

26.  What  is  the  roof  of  the  reception  room  called? 

27.  What  is  at  the  back  of  this  room?  28.  What 
is  its  purpose?     29.  What  is  the  hall?     30.   What 


AIDS   TO    TEA  CHERS  AXD  SCHOLARS.         303 

is  its  peculiarity?  31.  What  passages  lead  out 
of  it  and  where  ?  32.  Where  are  the  kitchen  stairs? 
33.  What  is  peculiar  about  them?  34.  Why  can 
we  swallow  a  large  mouthful  more  easily  than  a 
a  very  small  pill? 


Questions  on  Chapter  X. —  Page  yi. 

I .  What  do  we  find  at  the  bottom  of  the  kitchen 
stairs?  2.  How  large  is  the  kitchen?  3.  What 
is  the  kitchen?  4.  How  many  muscular  coats 
has  it?  5.  How  do  the  fibres  run?  6.  Why? 
7.  Who  is  the  cook?  8.  What  is  his  work? 
9.  Why  is  it  injurious  to  drink  cold  water  while 
eating?  10.  What  is  the  effect  of  eating  too 
much?  II.  Of  eating  between  meals?  12.  What 
door  leads  out  of  the  kitchen?  13.  What  is 
vomiting?  14.  When  does  it  occur?  15.  Of 
what  is  food  made,  chemically  speaking?  16.  Can 
we  live  on  these  elements?  17.  Where  does  man 
obtain  these  elements?  18.  What  are  proteids? 
19.  Where  is  gluten  found?  20.  Legumin? 
21.  Casein?  22.  Myosin?  23.  Why  do  we  eat 
a  variety  of  foods? 


Questions  on  Chapter  XL — Page  y6. 

I.  What  is  the  Latin  name  for  the  second 
kitchen?  2.  Why  is  it  so  called?  3.  What 
assistants  work  in  this  second  kitchen?  4.  Who 
is  the  most  important  helper?  5.  What  does  he 
do?  6.  Where  does  bile  come  from?  7.  What 
is  the  work  of  the  bile?  8.  What  are  in  the  walls 
of  the  butler's  pantry? 


304  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

Questions  on  Chapter  XII. —  Page  79. 

I.  What  opens  out  of  the  butler's  pantry? 
2.  How  long  is  the  dining  room?  3.  What  are  its 
muscular  coats?  4.  What  is  the  first  eight  feet  of 
the  small  intestines  called?  5.  Why?  6.  What 
is  the  rest  of  it  called?  7.  Why?  8.  Where  are 
the  intestines  located?  9.  How  are  they  held  in 
place?  10.  Where  are  they  fastened ?  ii.  Why 
are  there  folds  on  the  inside  of  the  small  intes- 
tines? 12.  Who  is  the  head  waiter?  13.  Who 
are  his  assistants?  14.  W^ho  eat  the  dinner? 
15.  Why  are  the  eaters  always  in  the  dining  room 
and  what  are  these  little  eaters  called?  16.  In 
what  condition  is  their  food?      17.  What  is  chyle? 

18.  Of    what    are    our    bones    and    flesh    made? 

19.  How    does    the    food     get    into    the     blood? 

20.  What  are  the  lacteals?  21.  What  are  the 
lymphatic  glands?  22.  How  many  are  there? 
23.  What  is  the  receptaciihim  chili?  24.  What 
changes  come  to  the  chyle  in  passing  through  the 
lymphatic  glands?  25.  What  do  they  carry? 
26.  What  is  the  colon?  27.  Where  is  it  located? 
28.  How  long  is  it?  29.  What  results  from  the 
peculiar  arrangement  of  its  muscular  fibres? 


Questions  on  Chapter  XIII. —  Page  86. 

I.  What  is  in  the  very  center  of  our  bodily 
dwelling?  2.  How  can  you  find  out  where  your 
heart  lies?  3.  Why  do  you  think  it  is  on  the 
left  side?  4.  How  fast  does  the  heart  work? 
5.  Where  can  you  feel  your  pulse  beat?      6.   What 


AIDS   TO   TEACHERS  AND  SCHOLARS.        305 

is  the  heart?  7.  When  does  the  heart  rest? 
8.  How  much  of  the  time  does  it  rest?  9.  How 
is  the  heart  divided?  lO.  What  incloses  the 
heart?  11.  What  is  the  auricle?  12.  What  is 
the  ventricle?  13.  What  closes  the  opening  be- 
tween the  auricle  and  the  ventricle?  14.  How 
much    work    does    the    heart    do    in    24    hours? 

15.  How  much    of    the    body  weight    is    blood? 

16.  How  long  does  it  take  for  the  whole  amount 
of  blood  to  go  through  the  heart?  17.  How 
much  does  the  heart  of  the  ordinary  man  hold? 
18.  How  many  tons  would  his  heart  pump  in  24 
hours?  19.  What  is  a  foot  pound?  20.  Lifting 
one  pound  16  feet  high  is  the  same  as  what? 
21.  How  high  would  the  blood  jet  at  each  stroke 
if  there  were  no  walls  to  confine  it?  22.  In  72 
heart  beats  how  much  force  is  used?  23.  In  24 
hours  how  much?  24.  Why  are  the  walls  of  the 
left  ventricle  stronger  than  the  right?  25.  Why 
should  we  exercise?  26.  Why  should  we  lie 
down  to  rest? 


Questions  on  Chapter  XIV. —  Page  93. 

I.  How  is  the  bodily  house  repaired?  2.  Who 
must  furnish  the  material?  3.  If  we  do  not  fur- 
nish the  right  kind  or  right  quantity,  what  results? 
4.  Who  is  the  general  manager?  5.  What  is  her 
business?  6.  What  is  the  aorta?  7.  How  is  the 
aorta  divided?  8.  How  are  the  arteries  divided? 
9.  How  are  the  arterioles  divided?  10.  What 
does  capillary  mean  ?  11.  How  are  veins  formed  ? 
12,   How  are  the  vejtce  cavce  formed?      13.  What 


306  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

do  the  arteries  carry?  14.  What  do  the  veins 
carry?  15.  What  is  the  fluid  part  of  the  blood 
called?  16.  What  does  plasma  mean?  17.  How 
does  the  fluid  plasma  get  into  the  tissues? 
18.  What  is  it  then  called?  19.  What  are  found 
in  this  plasma?  20.  What  is  the  shape  of  the  red 
corpuscles?  21.  What  do  they  carry  ?  22.  How 
is  the  bad  or  waste  material  taken  out  of  the  body? 

23.  What    prevents    blood    from    running    away? 

24.  How  can  you  see  fibrim?  25.  Of  what 
importance  is  fibrim?  26.  At  what  rate  does  the 
blood  move  through  the  arteries?  27.  Through 
the  capillaries?  28.  What  is  there  in  the  veins  to 
keep  the  blood  from  going  back?  29.  What 
effect  has  exercise  upon  the  movement  of  the 
blood?  30.  What  effect  has  breathing?  31.  What 
is  a  fever? 


Questions  on  Chapter  XV. —  Page    100. 

I.  What  are  the  hands  and  feet?  2.  Of  what 
value  is  the  thumb?  3.  What  are  cells?  4.  How 
many  kinds  of  cells?  5.  What  destroys  cell 
substance?  6.  What  may  you  call  the  cells? 
7.  What  is  their  work?  8.  Where  do  they  get 
their  material?  9.  What  sort  of  material  do  the 
bone  cells  use?  10.  What  do  the  muscle  cells 
use?  II.  What  is  the  first  work  of  the  cells? 
12.  What  do  they  do  with  the  material  thus 
absorbed?  13.  What  do  they  do  with  material 
that  has  been  used  and  cast  out?  14.  What  do 
the  cells  have  to  do  with  the  growth  of  people? 
15.  What  do  the  liver  cells  make?      16.   What  do 


AIDS   TO    TEACHERS  AND  SCHOLARS.         307 

the  salivary  glands  make?  17.  What  do  the 
glands  in  the  stomach  make?  18.  What  do  the 
cells  do  if  the  body  is  wounded?  19.  Of  what 
value  are  salves  and  ointments?  20.  Do  cells 
help  each  other? 


Questions  on  Chapter  XVI. —  Page  104. 

I .  What  is  located  between  the  windows  of  the 
eyes?  2.  What  is  the  framework  of  the  nose? 
3.  How  is  it  divided?  4.  With  what  are  these 
passages  lined?  5.  Who  goes  up  the  stairway? 
6.  What  does  she  then  do?  7.  Where  is  the  epi- 
glottis? 8.  After  passing  the  epiglottis  where 
does  Aura  go?  9.  How  does  the  trachea  differ 
from  the  esophagus?  10.  How  long  is  the 
trachea?  11.  What  is  at  the  top  of  the  trachea? 
12.  At  the  bottom?  13.  How  do  the  bronchial 
tubes  divide?  14.  What  is  a  pulmonary  lobule? 
15.  What  do  we  find  here?  16.  What  wonderful 
process  takes  place  here?  17.  When  does  ^'wash 
day"  come  in  our  bodily  dwelling?  18.  Why  do 
the  rings  of  the  esophagus  not  go  all  the  way 
around?  19.  Why  are  the  walls  of  the  bronchial 
tubes  stiff?  20.  What  lines  these  passages? 
21.  What  attendants  do  we  find  here?  22.  What 
is    their    purpose?       23.     What    are    the    lungs? 

24.  How    are    the    ribs    attached    to    the    spine? 

25.  What  is  the  diaphragm?  26.  Where  is  it 
fastened?  27.  How  does  it  act  when  we  breathe? 
28.  How  can  we  illustrate  the  movement  of  the 
diaphragm?  29.  What  is  the  effect  of  tight  cloth- 
ing?    30.   Should  man  and  woman  breathe  differ- 


308  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

ently?  31.  Can  girls  have  strong  muscles? 
32.  Is  it  necessary  to  change  the  shape  of  the 
body  to  make  it  beautiful?  33.  What  is  the  effect 
of  squeezing  the  centre  of  the  body?  34.  What 
effect  has  tight  clothing  upon  the  laundry? 
35.  Upon  the  force  pump?  36.  The  kitchen? 
37.  The  dining-room?  38.  How  is  the  blood 
made  impure?  39.  What  gases  are  carried  by 
the  red  corpuscles?  40.  How  does  the  carbonic 
acid  gas  get  from  the  blood  into  the  air  ?  41 .  How 
does  the  oxygen  get  from  the  air  into  the  blood? 
42.  How  often  do  we  breathe?  43.  Why  does  a 
close  room  give  us  a  headache?  44.  How  much 
air  do  we  spoil  at  a  breath?  45.  How  much  air 
is  taken  in  and  given  out  in  moderate  breathing? 
46.  What  is  this  called?  47.  When  we  run,  how 
much  more  air  do  we  take  in?  48.  What  is  this 
called?  49.  What  is  reserve  air?  50.  What  is 
residual  air?  51.  Of  what  is  it  composed? 
52.  When  breathing  in,  how  much  oxygen  and 
nitrogen  does  it  contain?  53.  When  breathing 
out,  what  is  the  proportion?  54.  What  is  the 
effect  when  we  breathe  in?  55.  How  thin  are  the 
walls  of  the  air  cells?  56.  How  many  are  there 
of  them  in  the  lungs?  57.  What  keeps  the 
outside  air  pure? 


Questions  on  Chapter  XVH. —  Page  119. 

I.  How  are  some  dwellings  heated?  2.  What 
makes  the  fire  burn?  3.  What  is  this  process 
called?  4.  What  is  formed  by  it?  5.  What 
accompanies  the  chemical  process?     6.   What  is 


AIDS   TO    TEACHERS  AXD  SCHOLARS.         309 

taken  in  with  every  breath?  7.  What  given  out? 
8.  What  might  we  call  the  lungs?  9.  Why  does 
exercise  make  us  warm?  10.  Why  are  we  cold 
when  we  sit  still?  11.  How  does  the  activity  of 
muscle  produce  heat?  12.  How  much  of  the 
bodily  heat  is  produced  by  muscular  activity? 
13.  How  long  does  it  take  the  temperature  to  fall 
after    exercise?       14.    W^hat  does  this  teach  us? 

1 5 .  How  does  digestion  affect  bodily  temperature  ? 

16.  What  are  glands?  17.  What  is  the  temper- 
ature of  the  brain  of  a  man  who  is  thinking? 
18.  What  may  we  call  the  liver?  19.  What 
does  it  do?  20.  What  is  excretion?  21.  What 
is  secretion?  22.  Do  clothes  make  us  warm? 
23.  Which  is  better,  linen,  cotton,  or  woollen  for 
winter  wear?  24.  What  is  the  bodily  temperature 
in  health?  25.  When  does  it  reach  its  greatest 
height?  26.  When  is  it  lowest?  27.  What  is 
the  ofiQce  of  the  skin  in  regard  to  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  body? 


Questions  on  Chapter  XVIH. —  Page  125. 

I.  What  is  a  chemist?  2.  What  changes  go 
on  in  the  body?  3.  What  particular  organ  may 
be  called  a  chemical  laboratory?  4.  What  other 
names  may  we  give  it?  5.  Where  is  the  liver 
located?  6.  How  held  in  place?  7.  What  is 
the  portal  circulation?  8.  How  is  the  liver  made 
up?  9.  What  does  the  liver  do  with  the  poison- 
ous materials  brought  to  it?  10.  What  does  the 
liver  manufacture  ?  11.  When  is  the  greatest 
amount   of   bile    secreted?       12.     What  increases 


310  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

the  secretion  of  bile?  13.  What  is  glycogen? 
14.  How  are  starchy  foods  changed  before  absorp- 
tion? 15.  What  effect  have  the  movements  of  the 
diaphragm  upon  the  excretion  of  bile?  J 6.  What 
is  the  effect  of  tight  clothing? 


Questions  on  Chapter  XIX. —  Page  129. 

I.  Do  we  understand  all  parts  of  our  bodily 
dwelling?  2.  What  did  Aristotle  say  about  the 
heart?  3.  When  were  the  arteries  given  their 
names?  4.  Why  were  they  called  arteries? 
5.  Who  contradicted  this  idea?  6.  What  do  we 
call  the  unknown  rooms  in  our  bodily  dwelling? 
7.  What  is  the  name  of  the  two  at  the  back  of  the 
reception  room?  8.  What  is  the  effect  of  the 
enlargement  of  the  tonsils?  9.  What  possibly 
takes  place  in  the  tonsils?  10.  What  are  duct- 
less glands?      II.    Where  is  the    thyroid    gland? 

12.  When    it    is    removed,  what    is    the     effect? 

13.  Where  is  the  thymus  gland?  14.  How  long 
does  it  increase  in  size?  15.  When  does  it  begin 
to  grow  smaller?  16.  What  is  the  little  cap  over 
the  top  of  each  kidney  called?  17.  What  is  its 
ofhce  supposed  to  be?  18.  What  is  the  largest 
of  these  puzzling  rooms?  19.  Where  is  it  lo- 
cated? 20.  What  is  it  like?  21.  What  does  it 
do?  22.  How  many  kinds  of  marrow  in  bones? 
23.  Where  is  yellow  marrow  found?  24.  Where 
is  red  marrow  found?  25.  What  power  has  red 
marrow  ? 


AIDS   TO    TEACHERS  AND  SCHOLARS.         311 

Questions  ox  Chapter  XX. —  Page  135. 

I.  What  is  the  brain?  2.  What  is  located 
here?  3.  What  may  the  nerves  be  called? 
4.  Where  is  the  spinal  cord?  5.  What  is  the  rel- 
ative position  of  the  white  and  gray  matter  in  the 
cord?  6.  How  many  cells  in  the  brain?  7.  How 
many  nerves  start  out  from  the  brain?  8.  How 
many  form  the  spinal  cord?  9.  What  do  these 
nerves  form?  10.  How  many  kinds  of  nerves 
found  in  the  cerebro-spinal  system?  11.  What  is 
a  ganglion?      12.  What  is  the  plural  of  ganglion? 

13.  What    do     the     ganglia     of    the     spine     do? 

14.  What  special  work  have  different  parts  of  the 
brain  to  do?  15.  What  side  of  the  brain  governs 
the  left  side  of  the  body?  16.  What  effect  will 
an  injury  to  the  right  side  of  the  brain  have  on 
the  body?  17.  What  can  you  tell  about  the  case 
of  the  girl  who  had  epilepsy?  18.  How  did  the 
doctors  know  where  to  operate?  19.  Give  the 
case  in  regard  to  mind-blindness.  20.  How  was 
it  cured?  21.  Where  is  the  area  of  spoken 
words?  22.  Of  what  is  the  cerebrum  the  cen- 
ter? 23.  W^hat  does  the  cerebellum  regulate? 
24.  W^hen  an  order  is  sent  from  the  brain  to  any 
part  of  the  body  how  does  it  get  there?  25.  From 
which  side  of  the  spinal  cord  do  the  nerves  of 
motion    issue?        26.    The    nen.'es    of    sensation? 

27.  How    fast    does     a     nerve     impulse     travel? 

28.  How  do  you  resemble  a  telegraph  operator? 


312  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

Questions  on  Chapter  XXI. —  Page  142. 

I.  Tell  about  the  wonderful  clock  of  the  World's 
Fair.     2.  About  the  clock  of  our  wonderful  house. 

3.  What    may   we    call    this    wonderful    clock? 

4.  What  does  the  sympathetic  nervous  system 
govern?  5.  Where  are  these  muscles  located? 
6.  Of  what  is  the  sympathetic  nervous  system 
made  up?  7.  How  many  of  these  ganglia? 
8.  Where  located?  9.  How  united?  10.  What 
is  a  plexus?  11.  What  is  the  abdominal  brain? 
12.  What  is  its  ofhce?  13.  What  is  the  effect 
when  this  brain  becomes  excited?  14.  What 
may  the  different  ganglia  of  the  sympathetic  ner- 
vous system  be  called?  15.  Where  are  they 
found?  16.  What  effect  have  they  on  the  heart? 
17.  On  the  intestines?  18.  On  the  lungs? 
19.  What  other  organs  work  with  rythm? 


Questions  on  Chapter  XXII. —  Page  146. 

I.  Where  is  the  regulator  of  our  wonderful 
clock?  2.  What  is  it  called?  3.  Of  what  is  it 
composed?  4.  What  connects  the  two  divisions 
of  the  brain?      5.  What  does  the  cerebellum  do? 

6.  What  effect  has  the  removal  of  the  cerebellum? 

7.  How  many  particular  movements  do  we  make 
in  walking?  8.  What  is  the  mainspring  of  our 
wonderful  clock?  9.  What  does  medulla  oblon- 
gata mean?  10.  What  is  the  effect  when  this 
mainspring  is  broken?  11.  What  is  the  vital 
knot?       12.    Of  what  is  the  medulla  composed? 


AIDS   TO   TEACHERS  AND  SCHOLARS.        313 

13.  How  large  is  it?  14.  What  is  a  reflex  influ- 
ence? 15.  Where  do  reflex  movements  origi- 
nate? 16.  Mention  some  reflex  movements? 
17.  Is  breathing  reflex? 


Questions  on  Chapter  XXIII. —  Page  153. 

I.  What  are  the  watchmen  of  our  bodily  dwel- 
ling? 2.  Where  does  sight  dwell?  3.  What 
are  the  advantages  of  seeing?  4.  What  is  the 
special  nerve  of  sight?  5.  What  is  the  nerve  of 
hearing?  6.  What  are  the  dangers  of  deafness? 
7.  Would  you  rather  be  blind  or  deaf?  8.  Where 
is  taste  located  ?  9.  What  is  the  special  nerve  of 
taste?  10.  Do  substances  taste  the  same  on  all 
parts  of  the  tongue?  11.  Illustrate.  12.  What 
is  the  effect  of  introducing  taste  to  objectionable 
substances?  13.  Where  is  smell  located?  14.  Of 
what  advantage  is  the  sense  of  smell  to  a  cook? 

15,  What  is  the  special  nerve    of    smell   called? 

16.  What  is  sneezing?  17.  What  enjoyment  do 
you  receive  from  smell?  18.  How  does  it  protect 
us?  19.  Where  is  touch  located?  20.  What  do 
we  learn  from  the  sense  of  touch  ?  21.  How  does 
touch  warn  us?  22.  What  is  pain?  23.  What 
is  muscular  sense  ?     24.  What  do  we  learn  from  it? 


Questions  on  Chapter  XXIV. —  Page  161. 

I.   How  many  windows  in  our  bodily  dwelling? 
2.  What  is  hung  over  them?     3.  With  what  are 


314  OUR   BODILY  DWELLING. 

the  eyelids  lined?  4.  What  is  winking?  5.  How 
does  winking  wash  the  eye?  6.  What  keeps  the 
lids  from  sticking  together?  7.  Describe  the 
curtain  of  the  window?     8.  What  is  the  cornea? 


Questions  on  Chapter  XXV. —  Page  165. 

I.   How  is  a  photogragh  made?     2.  What  need 
are  shadows  in  pictures?     3.  What  does  the  eye 
resemble  in  its  structure?     4.  What  is  the  shape 
of  the  eyeball?      5.  What  is  the  vitreous  humor? 
6.  What   is   the   hyaloid  membrane?     7.    Where 
is    the    retina?        8.    How    many    layers    has    it? 
9.    What    is    the    choroid    coat?        10.    Why    so 
called?      II.  What  is  the  strong  membrane  out- 
s-ide  of  all?      12.   How  can  you  illustrate  the  con- 
struction of  the  eye?      13.  Compare  the  eye  and 
a  camera.      14.  What  is  the  difference  between  a 
convex   and  a  concave    lens?      15.    What  is    the 
office  of  the  ciliary  muscles?      16.    When  is  the 
lens    most   convex?      17.  When    does  it  become 
flattened?      18.  What  is  the  power  of  the  accom- 
modation of  the  eye?      19.  When  is  a  photograph 
in  focus?     20.   What  is  the  near  point  of  vision? 
21.  What  is  the  far   point  of  vision?     22.  Why 
does  the  eye  accommodate  most  rapidly  from  a 
distance  to  near  by?     23.    What  is  it  to  be   far 
sighted?     24.  What    is    it    to    be    near    sighted? 
25.  What    is  necessary  besides  the  eye  in  order 
that  we  shall   see?     26.    What  is  a  blind    spot? 

27.  Prove  that  you  have  a  blind  spot  in  your  eye? 

28.  What  is  the  yellow  spot  of  the  eye?     29.  Do 


AIDS   TO    TEACHERS  AND  SCHOLARS.         315 

we  see  a  large  object  all  at  once?  30.  How  long 
can  the  stimulation  of  light  upon  the  retina  remain 
after  the  object  is  removed  ?  31.  What  is  the 
effect  of  impressions  following  each  other  very 
rapidly?  32.  Describe  a  Zoetrope.  33.  Why 
do  we  see  things  upside  down?  34.  Prove  that 
our  perception  of  objects  by  sight  is  a  result  of 
education.  35.  How  can  we  judge  of  the  solidity 
of  objects?  36.  How  do  we  get  the  idea  of  per- 
spective? 37.  Why  do  all  objects  not  seem  of 
the*  same  color?  38.  Of  what  color  is  sunlight? 
39.  What  are  the  primary  colors?  40.  If  an 
object  lets  all  the  rays  of  light  pass  through  it, 
what  color  would  it  be?  41.  If  it  allows  none  to 
pass,  what  color?  42.  If  it  absorbs  all  and 
reflects  none,  what  color?  43.  If  it  reflects  only 
red  rays,  what  color?  44.  What  is  the  explana- 
tion of  our  recognizing  different  colors?  45.  What 
is  color  blindness?  46.  Is  it  prevalent?  47.  W^hat 
may  cause  color  blindness? 


Questions  ox  Chapter  XXVI. —  Page  i8i. 

I.  What  porticos  are  on  the  sides  of  the  cupola? 
2.  What  are  they  for?  3.  Who  enters  here? 
4.  What  does  Aura  do  in  the  ear?  5.  How 
many  passages  lead  from  the  throat?  6.  How 
many  of  these  lead  into  the  ear?  7.  How  is  the 
drum     made?         8.     What    is    the    tympanum? 

9.  How  does  Aura  make  music    on  this    drum? 

10.  What  queer  playthings  has  Aura  in  the  mid- 
dle ear?     II.   How  are  they  arranged?      12.  W^hat 


316  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

is  the  cochlea?  13.  What  are  the  otohths? 
14.  Where  is  the  vestibule?  15.  Where  is  the 
organ  of  Corti?  16.  How  many  are  there  of  these 
fibres?  17.  Describe  the  action  of  the  ear  in 
creating  the  sense  of  hearing.  18.  How  can  we 
distinguish  sounds  having  different  quality  from 
each  other?  19.  What  is  sympathetic  vibration? 
20.  What  is  the  lowest  num^ber  of  vibrations  that 
we  can  hear?     21.     The  highest  number? 


Questions   on   Chapter  XXVII. —  Page  189. 

I.  What  is  an  orchestrion?  2.  Where  is  our 
musical  instrument  located  ?  3.  What  is  it  called  ? 
4.  Who  plays  on  it?  5.  Describe  the  larynx. 
6.  What  is  the  epiglottis?  7.  Where  are  the 
vocal  chords?  8.  How  is  sound  made?  9.  What 
do  irregular  sounds  make?  10.  Regular  sounds? 
II.  Which  has  the  quickest  vibrations,  a  high 
note  or  a  low  note?  12.  How  are  loud  sounds 
produced?  13.  What  determines  the  pitch  of 
tone?  14.  Why  does  the  voice  change  at  about 
fourteen  years  of  age?  15.  What  affects  the 
quality  of  the  voice?  16.  What  quality  of  voice 
appeals  to  the  better  nature?  17.  Where  is 
the  sounding  board  of    our  musical    instrument? 

18.  What    is    the    range    of    the    human    voice? 

19.  What  parts  of  the  mouth  are  used  in  making 
vocal  sounds?  20.  When  the  orchestrion  is  silent, 
what  do  we  call  the  individual?  21.  Why  is  a 
person  mute?  22.  How  can  deaf  children  learn 
to  talk? 


aids  to  teachers  and  scholars.      317 

Questions  on  Chapter  XXVIII. —  Page  196. 

I.  What  is  the  library  of  our  house?  2.  When 
did  you  begin  this  Hbrary?  3.  What  kinds  of 
books  have  you  stored  there?  4.  What  is  the 
condition  of  your  arithmetic?  5.  Your  grammar ? 
6.  Your  geography?  7.  Have  you  any  dime 
novels  in  your  library?  8.  Can  you  give  this 
library  away?  9.  If  you  have  things  there  you 
don't  want,  what  can  you  do  with  them?  10.  How 
many  good  words  are  in  your  dictionary? 
II.  How  many  words  will  a  well  educated  person 
use?  12.  How  many  words  are  there  in  Shakes- 
peare? 13.  How  many  in  the  Old  Testament? 
14.  If  you  should  learn  a  new  word  a  day  how 
many  would  you  learn  in  a  year?  15.  How  will 
the  libraries  of  different  people  differ?  16.  What 
is  this  library  of  our  bodily  house?  17.  How  can 
we  cultivate  our  memories?  18.  Why  will  good 
food  help  us  to  remember?  19.  Why  will  failure 
of  the  heart  power  be  accompanied  by  failure  of 
memory?  20.  Why  will  bodily  fatigue  cause  loss 
of  memory?  21.  Why  does  age  weaken  the 
memory?  22.  Give  some  rules  for  educating  the 
memory?  23.  Why  can  we  remember  an  object 
more  clearly  if  we  subject  it  to  investigation  of  our 
senses?  24.  What  is  the  first  rule  for  improv- 
ing the  memory?  25.  The  second?  26.  The 
third?  27.  The  fourth?  28.  Fifth?  29.  Sixth? 
30.  Compare  memory  to  photographing. 


318  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 

Questions  on  Chapter  XXIX. —  Page   206. 

I.  What  is  memory  besides  a  library?  2.  What 
pictures  do  we  store  away  in  our  memory  gallery? 
3.  What  do  we  remember  most  clearly?  4.  Il- 
lustrate the  fact  that  it  is  hard  sometimes  to  sep- 
arate memory  pictures  from  the  pictures  of  imag- 
ination. 5.  What  may  we  call  memory  and 
imagination?     6.  What  do  they  do  for  us? 


Questions  on  Chapter  XXX. —  Page  209. 

I.  Can  we  take  friends  with  us  to  visit  the  hid- 
den chambers  of  our  house?  2.  What  is  the 
Chamber  of  Hatred?  3.  Who  paints  the  pictures 
in  these  chambers?  4.  What  does  Imagination 
paint  in  the  Chamber  of  Envy?  5.  What  in  the 
Chamber  of  Selfishness?  6.  What  does  he  paint 
in  the  Chamber  of  Love?  7.  What  in  the  Cham- 
ber of  Peace  ? 


AIDS  TO   TEACHERS  AND  SCHOLARS.        319 


PART  II. 

Questions  on  Chapter  I. —  Page  217. 

I.  How  is  a  man  known?  2.  What  two  kinds 
of  guests  visit  our  house?  3.  When  the  guests 
are  builders,  what  is  the  effect  on  our  house? 
4.  If  they  are  destroyers,  what?  5.  Who  invites 
the  guests  to  our  house?  6.  How  may  man  be 
deceived?  7.  Who  is  the  most  important  food 
guest?  8.  What  is  the  office  of  oxygen?  9.  How 
much  oxygen  does  a  man  at  rest  consume  in  a 
day?  10.  How  does  the  oxygen  enter  the  lungs? 
II.  How  often  should  it  enter?  12.  Who  is  the 
second  guest  that  visits  us?  13.  W^hat  is  her 
recommendation?  14.  Of  what  is  milk  com- 
posed? 15.  What  are  the  most  important  albu- 
minoid foods?  16.  What  are  carbo-hydrates? 
17.  What  do  they  do?  18.  What  is  the  standard 
food?  19.  What  is  one  of  the  most  important 
foods?  20.  Why?  21.  How  much  water  should 
one  take  in  a  day?  22.  What  is  the  differ- 
ence between  organic  and  inorganic  substances? 
23.  What  inorganic  substances  are  found  in  the 
body?  24.  Where  do  we  get  them?  25.  What  is 
the  use  of  phosphorus  in  the  system?  -26.  Where 
is  it  found?  27.  What  is  the  value  of  apples? 
28.  How  did  the  Grecian  athletes  live?  29.  What 
great  men  lived  without  meat?  30.  How  did  the 
ancient  Gauls  live?  31.  How  did  they  tell  when 
they  were  eating  too  much? 


320  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 


Questions  on  Chapter  II. —  Page  226. 

I.  What  are  the  spicy  visitors  that  come  to  our 
house?  2.  Are  they  builders?  3.  What  is  the 
effect  of  mustard  and  pepper?  4.  Give  the  his- 
tory  of  Alexis  St.  Martin.  5.  What  may  all 
condiments  be  called?  6.  What  are  stimulants? 
7.  What  is  the  effect  of  condiments  on  the 
digestion? 


QuEsiONS  ON  Chapter  III. —  Page  231. 

I.  W^hen  was  coffee  introduced  into  England? 
2.  How  was  it  received?  3.  What  does  medical 
science  to-day  call  coffee?  4.  What  does  Bartho- 
low  say  of  its  effect?  5.  What  does  Dr.  Emmett 
say?  6.  Is  a  checking  of  normal  waste  desir- 
able? 7.  What  is  the  objection  to  the  use  of 
coffee  by  young  people?  8.  Give  a  testimony  of 
intelligent  men  upon  the  use  of  coffee?  9.  What 
may  coffee  produce  in  children?  10.  When  was 
tea  introduced  into  England?  11.  Has  any 
mental  work  been  done  without  tea  or  coffee? 
12.  What  is  the  testimony  of  John  Wesley 
in  regard  to  tea?  13.  Of  Dr.  Beaumont? 
14.  What  is  the  effect  of  tea  upon  the  growth  of 
children? 


Questions  on  Chapter  IV. —  Page  238. 

I.     What  is   the  effect  of   opium  upon  pain? 
2.  How  docs  opium  quiet  pain?     3.  What  may 


AIDS   TO    TEACHERS  AXD  SCHOLARS,         321 

the  habit  of  opium  use  be  called?  4.  What  does 
the  word  intoxication  mean?  5.  What  does 
Coleridge  say  of  opium?  6.  What  effect  has 
opium  upon  the  moral  nature?  7.  W'hat  effect 
has  chloral  hydrate,  cocaine,  absinthe,  hashish, 
and  ginger  upon  the  system? 


Questions  on  Chapter  V. —  Page  244. 

I.  Who  introduced  tobacco  to  the  world? 
2.  What  is  his  character?  3.  What  is  his  effect 
of  introduction  into  the  house?  4.  Who  are  his 
near  relations?  5.  When  he  is  dressed  in  white, 
and  he  looks  very  dainty,  what  do  we  call  him? 
6.  What  is  his  character  in  this  guise?  7.  What 
poison  does  tobacco  always  carry  with  him? 
8.  What  is  the  effect  of  nicotine?  9.  What 
results  if  tobacco  smoke  is  passed  through  a 
stream  of  water?  10.  In  what  other  forms  does 
tobacco  visit  the  house?  11.  Where  is  the  first 
influence  of  tobacco  felt?  12.  Who  are  sup- 
posed to  have  died  from  the  effects  of  tobacco? 
13.  What  effect  has  tobacco  upon  the  bronchial 
tubes?  14.  W^hat  is  the  effect  of  nicotine  on  the 
blood?  15.  On  the  heart?  16.  If  one  tenth  of 
the  blood  is  made  of  broken  down  cells  what  is 
the  result?  17.  What  is  the  effect  of  tobacco 
upon  the  intellect?  18.  What  derangements 
result  from  the  use  of  tobacco?  19.  What  phys- 
ical derangements?  20.  What  is  the  effect  on 
the  moral  nature?  21.  What  per  cent  of  school 
boys  use  tobacco?     22.    Is  it  dangerous  to  quit 


322  OUR  BODILY  DWELLING. 


its  use  at  once?  23.  What  is  the  effect  of  tobacco 
on  the  hearing?  24.  On  the  brain?  25.  On  the 
nerves?  26.  What  are  the  expenses  of  a  man 
who  smokes  one  hundred  cigars  a  day?  27.  Three 
cigars?  28.  How  much  tobacco  is  produced 
in  a  year?  29.  How  large  a  pyramid  would 
this  form?  30.  What  is  the  yearly  expense? 
31.  What  dangers  to  property  result  from  to- 
bacco using? 


Questions  on  Chapter  VI. —  Page  269. 

I.  What  does  alcohol  promise?  2.  Under 
what  forms  does  he  ask  admission  to  the  bodily 
house?  3.  What  is  decomposition?  4.  What 
compounds  decay  rapidly?  5.  What  accom- 
panies the  process  of  decay?  6.  What  five 
things  are  needed  to  produce  alcohol?  7.  How 
is  it  formed?  8.  What  is  malt?  9.  From  whaJ 
is  beer  made?  10.  Wine?  11.  Hard  cider*. 
12.  What  is  distillation?  13.  When  a  house- 
keeper says  a  can  of  fruit  has  "  worked,"  what 
does  she  mean?  14.  How  is  alcohol  eliminated 
from  the  body?  15.  What  is  a  food?  16.  How  far 
does  alcohol  answer  this  requirement?  17.  What 
is  the  testimony  of  Arctic  explorers?  18.  What 
experiments  have  been  made  by  the  commander- 
in-chief  of  the  British  army?  19.  Demonstrate 
the  relative  effects  of  alcohol  and  total  abstinence 
on  soldiers?  20.  What  have  business  organiza- 
tions discovered  in  regard  to  the  use  of  alcohol? 
21.  What  does  alcohol  do  to  the  body?  22.  What 
effect    has    it    upon    digestion?       23.     Upon    the 


AIDS   TO    TEACHERS  AND  SCHOLARS.         323 


mucous  membrane?      24.  Upon  the  gastric  juice? 

25.  What  is  the  effect  of  alcohol  on  the  heart? 

26.  What  organ  is  first  affected  by  the  use  of 
alcohol?  27.  What  effect  has  alcohol  upon  the 
liver?  28.  What  effect  upon  the  brain?  29.  Upon 
the  power  of  self-control?  30.  What  proportion 
of  blood  is  in  the  brain?  31.  What  effect  has 
alcohol  on  the  brain  cells?  32.  What  is  the  con- 
dition of  a  man  who  is  "  dead  drunk"  ?  33.  Why 
is  it  dangerous  for  children  to  use  alcohol  ?  34.  Is 
alcohol  a  food  because  it  checks  waste  ?  35.  How 
do  you  prove  that  alcohol  is  a  destroyer  of  Hfe? 
36.  What  attitude  do  insurance  companies  take  in 
regard  to  alcohol?  37.  What  do  business  men? 
38.  Why  should  alcohol  not  be  called  a  water  of 
life?  39.  Is  alcohol  a  tonic?  40.  Why  not? 
41.  How  many  people  die  every  year  in  the 
United  States  as  drunkards?  42.  How  much 
money  is  expended  in  a  year  in  the  purchase  of 
alcohoHc  drinks?  43.  What  other  cost  to  the 
United  States  is  the  use  of  alcohol?  44.  What 
does  the  Bible  say  in  regard  to  its  use? 


INDEX. 


Abdomen       .... 
Absorption  of  food 

by  the   lacteals     . 
Absinthe        .... 
Air,  atmospheric  composi 
tion  of     .     .     . 

changes  in  respiration 

complemental . 

residual 

reserve  .... 

tidal       .... 

natural  purification  o 
Air-cells 

number  of  .     .     . 
Albuminoids 
Alcohol    .... 

produced   by   decom 
position  . 

effect    of    on    mem 
branes     . 

on    corpuscles 

on    nerves   of    capil 
laries 

brain      .... 

heart      .... 

kidneys  and  liver 

mental  powers 

pepsin    .... 

sensation     . 

stomach 

heat  of  body  . 

testimony  of  Arctic  ex 
plorers    concerning 

testimony    of     physi- 
cians concerning 

diseases  produced  l)y 

use  of  by  children 
.'i24 


Page 

19 

82 

82 

242 


17 

15 
16 

17 
16 
16 
18 

15 

18 

74,  220 
269 

272 

274 
280 

283 
286 
283 
284 
286 
282 
282 
281 
275 

275 

274 
286 
289 


Page 

Alcohol. —  Continued. 

loss    to     the     nation 

through  ....  295 

not  a  food  ....  273 

checks  waste    .     .     .  290 

Anvil 183 

Aorta 91 

Arachnoid  membrane  .     .  60 

Arteries 95 

movements  of   blood 

through  ....  96 

Attitude 36 

Aura 14 

Auricles  of  the  heart    .     .  90 

Bathing,  rules  for    .     .     .  51 

Beer 291 

Bile,  secretion  of     ...  127 

function  of  in  digestion,  1 28 

Blood 93 

absorption  of  oxygen  96 

change  of  in  respira- 
tion   ....  106,  115 


color  of      .     .     . 

corpuscles  of    . 

coagulation  of 

circulation  of  . 

exposure    to     air     in 
lungs       ... 

fibrin  of       .      .      . 
Blood  corpuscles 

movement  of  in  capil 
laries  .... 
Body,  temperature  of  . 
Bones,  number  of    . 

formation  of    . 

co^iposition  of 

uses  of  ...     . 


96 
96 

97 
98 

"5 

97 
96 

98 
123 

17 
22 

22 

17 


INDEX. 


325 


of 


Brain  .... 

cranial   . 

abdominal  . 

motor   areas 

cells  of  .     .     . 

convolutions  of 

membranes  of 

structure  of     . 

nerves  of     . 
Breathing 

diaphragmatic 
Bronchial   tubes 
Butler's  Pantry,  the 
Camera,  photographic 
Capillaries 

circulation  in  . 
Casein  .... 
Cells 

work  of 
Cerebro  -  spinal      nervous 

system     . 
Cerebrum,  cerebellum 

office  of 
Chamber  of  Envy    . 

Hatred  .     .     . 

Love 

Peace     . 

Selfishness  . 
Chloral   hydrate 
Choroid  coat  of  the  eye 
Cigarettes      .     .     245, 
Cholera   produced   by 
cohol 

Chyle 

Clock,  the  wonderful 
Cocaine    .... 
Coecum    .... 
Colon       .... 
Color,  how  produced 
Color-blindness  . 
Cochlea  of  ear    . 
Coffee,  effects  of     . 

use  of  by  children 
Condiments  .... 


Page 

61 

143 

143 

^Z1 

136 

62 

60 

63 
136 

"5 
III 

109 

76 

165 

95 
96 

74 
100 

lOI 

136 
63 
139 
210 
209 
211 
212 
210 
241 
168 


260,  264 

al- 

291 

82 

142 

242 

85 
85 
178 
179 
184 
231 

234 
227 


Conjunctiva  . 
Convolutions  of  brain 
Cords,  vocal  . 
Cornea      .... 
Corpuscles  of  blood 
Cupola,  the    . 
Deceiiful  friend,  a  . 
Diaphragm    . 

action  of  in  breathing 
Dining-room,  the    , 
Drum  of  ear 
Ductless  glands 
Duodenum    . 
Dura  Mater  . 
Ear 

tympanum  of  . 

bones  of     . 

Eggs 

Elasticity  of  muscle 

Electrical  apparatus,  th 

Epiglottis 

Eustachian  tubes     . 

Exercise   .... 

Extensors 

Eye,  a  camera    . 

blind  spot  of    . 

choroid  coat  of 

retina  of 

sclerotic  coat  of 
Fermentation      .     . 
Fibers,  muscular 
Fibrin  of  the  blood 
Flexors     .... 
Foe  of  the  household 
Food,  action  of  saliva  on 

of  gastric  juice  on 

of  liver  on  .      .     . 

of  intestinal  juice  on 
Framework,  the 
Force-pump,  the 
Fruits       .... 
Function  of  bones  . 

muscles 

teeth      .     .     . 


Page 

161 

62 

191 

163 
96 

56 
244 
III 
III 

79 

182 

131 

76 

60 

182 

182 

183 
220 

31 

135 
104 

182 

120 

35 
165 

173 
168 
167 
168 
271 

31 

97 

35 
269 

69 

IZ 

127 

80 

17 

87 
221 

17 
27 
65 


326 


INDEX. 


Function, — Continued. 
gastric  juice 
pancreatic  juice 
villi  .... 
intestinal  juice 
bile  .... 
blood  corpuscles 
lungs      .     .     . 
heart 
retina     . 
Ganglia  of  spinal  cord 

of  sympathetic  nerves 
Gases,  oxygen 

carbonic  acid 
diffusion  of 
Gastric  juice 
Glands,  definition  of 
salivary  . 
perspiratory 
pineal  and  pituitary 
ductless 

thyroid  and  thymus 
Gluten 
Glycogen 

Gray  matter  of  brain 
Gustatory  sense 
Hair    .     .     . 
Hammer  . 
Hearing,  sense  of 

range  of 
Heart .     .     . 
capacity  of 
cavities  of 
location   of 
work  of 
rest  of    . 
valves    . 
Heat,  source  of 

exercise   produces 

digestion  pruduccs 

thought  produces 

Heating  apparatus,  the 

Helpful  guests    . 

Housekeeper's  closets,  the 


Page 

71 
76 

81 

80 
127 

96 
107 

89 
167 
136 

H3 
117 

117 

71 
121 

69 

49 

131 

131 

132 

74 

128 

62 

68 

53 

183 

154 

188 

88 

91 
90 

87 

89 

92 

90 

119 

120 

121 

121 

119 

217 

129 


Page 

Ilium 79 

Incisors 66 

Intestinal  juice   ....  80 

Intestines,  small      ...  80 

villi  of 81 

large 85 

Iris 163 

Jejunum 79 

Jugular  vein 84 

Juice,  gastric      ....  71 

intestinal     ....  80 

pancreatic  ....  76 

Kitchen,  the       ....  71 

Laboratory 125 

Lacteals 82 

Larynx,  the  .     .     .     .  105,  190 

Library 196 

Lime  in  bones    ....  23 

Liver 122 

work   of     ....  127 

Lungs 109 

capacity   of      .     .     .  118 

Lymph 84 

Lymphatic  glands   ...  83 

vessels 84 

Medulla  oblongata  .     .     .  149 

Membranes,  mucous    .     .  64 

Memory,  a  library  .     .     .  196 

a  picture  gallery    .     .  206 

cultivation  of   .     .     .  201 

rules     for     improve  - 

ment  of  ...     .  203 

of  senses     ....  203 

Mesentery 79 

Milk 219 

Molars 67 

Mouth 64 

Mucous  membranes      .     .  64 

Muscles,  strength  of     .     .  29 

properties  of    .     .     .  28 

irritability  of    .     .     .  29 

elasticity    of     .     ,     .  31 

contractility  of      .     .  28 

flexor  and  extensor    .  35 


INDEX. 


327 


as  food 


Muscular  fibers  . 
Muscular  sense  . 
Music-room,  the 
Nasal  fossae  . 
Nerves 

of  motion   . 

of  sensation 
Nerve  force,  rapidity  of 
Nervous   system,   cerebro 
spinal 

office  of 

sympathetic,  office  of 
Nervous  fibers,  motor 
Nicotine  .... 

effect  of  on  blood 

on  heart 
Office,  the  general 
Opium 

Orchestrion,  the 
Organic  substances 
Ossification    . 
Otohths    .     .     . 
Oxygen    . 
Pain,  a  friend     . 
Pancreas  . 

Pancreatic  juice,  uses  o 
Palate,  soft    . 
Papillae  of  the  long 
Pelvis  .... 
Pericardium  . 
Peristaltic  action 

of  stomach 

of  bowels    . 
Perspiration,  uses  o 

insensible    . 

amount  of  . 
Perspiratory  glands 

of       .     . 
Pharynx   . 
Phosphorus    .     . 
Pia  mater 
Picture  gallery,  the 
Pigment  of  skin 
Pineal  gland 


ue 


length 


I59> 


Page 

31 

160 

181 
104 
136 
136 
140 
140 

136 
143 
143 
136 
245 
248 
249 
61 

239 

189 

221 

23 
184 
218 
239 

77 

76 

70 

156 

19 

90 

145 
71 

145 
49 
49 
49 

49 

70 
222 

60 
206 

46 
131 


Pitch  of  voice     . 
Pituitary  body    . 

Pleura 

Plexus      

Plumbing,  the    . 
Pons  varolii  .... 
Pulse,  frequency  of 
Pupil  of  eye 
Purifying  apparatus,  the 

Pylorus 

Receptaculum  chyli 
Reception-room  and  hall 
Red  corpuscles  . 
Regulator  and  mainspring 
Repose,  need  of 
Reserve  air    . 
Residual  air  . 
Respiration   .... 

changes  of  blood  in 

frequency  of     . 

Retina 

Rhythmic  action  of  organ 
Round  shoulders     . 
Saliva,  action  on  starch 
Salivary  glands  . 

Salts 

Schneiderian  membrane 
Sclerotic  coat  of  eye     . 
Semi-circular  canals 
Senses,  sight 

taste 

smell 

hearing 

touch 
Sense,  muscular 
Servants,  the 
Sheathing,  the 
Sight,  sense  of 

mechanism  of 

attributes   of    objects 
by       .     .     . 

Skin,    structure 
use  of 

coloring  of 


and 


Page 

193 
131 
109 

143 
48 

146 
88 

163 

104 

73 

84 

64 

96 

146 

89 

116 

117 

III 

"5 
"5 
167 

145 

69 

69 
221 
104 
168 
184 

153 
155 
156 
154 
159 
160 
100 

45 
154 
170 

177 

46 
46 


328 


INDEX. 


Smell,  sense  of  .     . 

Sound,  how   produced 
Sound-vibrations,    rapidity 

of       .      . 
Special  watchmen 
Spicy  visitors 
Spinal  column 
Spinal  cord    . 

nerves  of 
Spleen 

supposed  office  of 
Starch,    digestion     of     in 

mouth     . 
Stirrup 
Sternum  . 
Stomach,  coats  of 

secretion  of 

action  of     . 

structure    of 

temperature  of 
Sweat  glands 
Sugar,  formation  of  in  liver 
Supra-renal  capsule 
Sympathetic   nervous   sys 

tem,  origin  of 
Taj  Mahal     .     .     . 
Taste,  sense  of   . 

where  located  . 
Tea,  effects  of    . 
Tears,  uses  of     . 
Teeth,  development   o 

care  of  .     .     . 
Thatch,  the 
Thoracic  due 
Thorax 
Throat 
Tidal  air  . 
Tobacco  . 

effects  of  on  blood 

ears  . 


eyes  . 
heart 
intellect 
morals 


Page 

187 


226 

136 
133 
134 

69 

183 

18 

71 
71 
71 
71 

72 

49 
128 
132 

143 

15 

68 

155 

235 
162 

66 

67 

53 

84 

18 

70 

116 

244 

248 

252 

252 

250 

254 
256 


Tobacco. —  Continued. 


nerves    .... 

lungs      .... 

throat     .... 

what  science  says  of 
Tobacco-habit,  breaking  off 

of  girls  .... 

cost  of   ...     . 
Tone 

loudness   of     .     . 

pitch   of      .     .     . 

duration    of     . 

quality  of    .     .      . 
Tongue,  nerves  of  . 

Tonsils 

Touch,  sense  of 

Trachea    

Treacherous  companions 
Tympanum   .... 

Uvula 

Valves  of  the  heart 

Veins 

Vegetarians  .... 
Vena  cavoe  ascendens  . 

descendens 
Venous  blood,  changes  in 

respiration    . 
Velocity  of  blood  in  art 
eries  .... 

capillaries   . 
Ventricles  of  heart  . 
Vestibule  of  internal  ear 
Vibration   of  air-waves 

vocal  cords 
Villi  of  intestines     . 
Vitreous  humor 
Vocal  cords  . 
Voice,  range  of 
Walls  and  machinery 
Water       .... 

proportion  of  in  food 

in    body 
White  corpuscles     . 
Windows 


Page 

251 

248 

253 

24s 
263 

264 
264 
192 
192 
192 
192 

193 
156 

131 

105 
238 

183 

70 
90 

95 
224 

95 
95 

"5 

98 

98 

90 

185 

187 

192 

81 

167 

191 

194 

27 

221 

75 

75 

134 

161 


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